Rourkela, July 23: Police are conducting raids in and around Sundargarh district in search of Pratik Patodia, the missing businessman from Calcutta, and his kidnappers.

Patodia was abducted yesterday morning from near the Sundargarh-Jharsuguda border. His driver, Rohit Tanty, is also missing. "We are conducting raids at this moment. Two police teams are on the job outside the district, while others are conducting raids inside," Sundargarh police superintendent Nikhil Kanodia told The Telegraph.

He, however, did not divulge the locations, where the raids were being conducted.

When asked about the motive behind Patodia's abduction, Kanodia said: "We can only say whether it was business rivalry, ransom or anything else when we find him."

The businessman, who is in his 40s, was kidnapped when he was on his way to Kirei, located some 25km from Jharsuguda town. Patodia has business interest at Kirei in Sundargarh district, where he owns a textile firm called Ashoka Multi Yarns Limited.

Patodia, who was travelling from Calcutta, had reached Jharsuguda railway station around half past nine last morning. Tanty received him and they proceeded to Kirei in a Tata Safari car. He was, in all probability, kidnapped from near Beramahal, around 20km from Jharsuguda and around 4km inside Sundargarh. His employees started worrying when he did not reach the unit at the scheduled time and calls to his phone went unanswered. They searched for him around noon and found the car by the road near Beramahal.

His employees informed the police around 1pm and the cops then started searching for the kidnapped duo.Yesterday, Kanodia said the police had some information on the kidnapping. But today, they remained tight-lipped on the leads.