TASTE OF RELIEF: Nirmalendu with his family in Patna. Picture by Deepak Kumar

Patna, Feb. 13: They don?t know if police pressure or prayers did the trick, but students in Patna can still afford a broad smile as their friend Nirmalendu Prakash Diwakar was back among his near ones today.

The student of Don Bosco Academy, fondly called Bunty, returned home after spending almost a month in captivity.

Abducted on January 17, the 15-year-old was reportedly released near Mahatma Gandhi Setu in Vaishali district in the wee hours today.

?They (the kidnappers) called up my father and asked him to pick me up from the spot,? the teenager said, safe and relaxed in the confines of his home. ?Most of the time I was kept blindfolded and they always spoke in a soft voice. In general, they were good to me and assured that they would release me soon.?

Bimalendu, the elder brother of the teenager, said Bunty appeared to be under the influence of sedatives.

?We had almost lost hope. I thank police, the media and the schoolchildren without whose support his release may not have been possible,? the boy?s mother said.

Unconfirmed reports said the abductors had demanded a huge sum for Bunty?s release, which the family denied. His father O.P. Diwakar, former deputy director of the animal husbandry department and an accused in the fodder scam, had apparently sold a portion of his property recently.

Both the police and the victim?s family claimed that the release came after ?pressure? exerted by the former.

?We had been zeroing in on the gangs. A sustained operation and raids in the river belt of Samastipur and Vaishali produced the intended result. We have identified the gang and arrested a few of its members,? deputy superintendent of police (Patna Sadar) Vivekanand Mandal said. ?Some new players had joined hands with a professional gang this time.?

Mandal, who was part of the special team set up to ensure Bunty?s recovery, said the delay was due to ?safety concerns?. ?As far as know, no ransom demand was reported. But the family will know better,? he added.

Seeking Bunty?s recovery, students had resorted to prayer meetings, human chains and even pleading and ?begging? for ransom money outside Beur Central Jail. Lalu Prasad?s son, too, had chipped in. The police kept assuring them that their friend would return soon.

Inspector-general (state headquarters) A.K. Sinha said: ?We?ll first state the facts before the court. Only then would we be able to give you the details.?