Kokrajhar, March 18: The daughter of the manager of a tea estate in Assam’s Dhubri district, who was kidnapped on Monday, was released by her abductors about 30km from here this afternoon.

Inspector-general of police A.K. Casshyap said Fatima Naqvi, 9, daughter of Sayeed Naqvi, the manager of Choibari tea estate, returned home unharmed.

Fatima was “dropped off” at North Bansbari village in Bismuri, Kokrajhar, around 4.30pm.

Kokrajhar superintendent of police P.K. Dutta tonight said a person named Chakradhar Daimary had been detained. The police suspect his brother Phanin of being involved in the abduction.

The Daimarys own a black Tata Indigo. Fatima was forced into an Indigo of the same colour after the abductors dumped the Contessa in which she was travelling to school.

Dutta said investigations had revealed that four persons, including a former armyman, were behind the kidnap. No militant group was involved, the officer added.

The police had tracked down the alleged kidnappers through their conversations over mobile phones they had snatched from two drivers of the tea estate who were in the Contessa when Fatima was kidnapped.

The abductors, who had demanded a ransom for the girl’s release, had kept her in four different locations, the police said.

Friends and neighbours visited Naqvi’s residence after Fatima’s return.

Fatima’s mother said: “Only a mother can feel the pain and understand the feelings of losing a child even if briefly... the last two days were a nightmare.”

Earlier in the day, students and teachers of Don Bosco, where Fatima studies, took out a procession demanding her release.