Dumka, Oct. 7: Tension ran high in Rajmahal coalfields, an undertaking of Eastern Coalfields Limited, after motorcycle-borne goons abducted two senior officials of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Farakka (Bengal) last evening.

The Bolero in which the duo were kidnapped, was found from Harlakha forest, 4km away from the coal project site this evening. The fifth instance in which criminals targeted the coal project has once again put the role of Godda police under the scanner.

Sources said Debajyoti Acharya, a senior supervisor and Subroto Dam, PWN (maintenance), NTPC, Farakka, arrived at the Rajmahal coal project at Lalmatiya, 44km from the Godda district headquarters on Saturday morning.

As a part of its community development, NTPC, Farakka, recently sanctioned four additional rooms in a school in Lohanda village. The duo came with a clerk to finalise the layout of the rooms in the school building.

According to Subham Mondal, a clerk in NTPC, Farakka project, who was accompanying Acharya and Dam in a Bolero (JH-17A/4811), four persons on two motorcycles intercepted them near the Lohanda village market.

He told the police that he was dragged out of the vehicle by the gun-totting men. “They thrashed the driver before driving off with him, Acharya and Dam.”

The superintendent of police, Godda, Biglal Oraon said that forces, led by the additional superintendent of police and deputy superintendent of police, fanned out in the entire area last night. “We have sealed the exit points from the district to neighbouring districts. We also alerted our Bihar counterparts,” he added.

The police suspect the hand of criminal groups of Mahendra Hansdak, James Clout and another person from Vhorai behind the incident.