Patna: Public protests intensified in Patna on Wednesday following the alleged kidnapping of grocery shopkeeper Bunty Kumar, with residents blocking roads and staging demonstrations in New Karbigahiya to demand his safe recovery.
Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor visited the victim’s family, met relatives at the protest site and appealed for patience while assuring them of his support. He said he would personally join the family’s protest if the police failed to recover Bunty Kumar within two days.
Road Blockade Disrupts Traffic
Angry residents gathered near New Karbigahiya, close to Patna Junction, where they blocked the road and set fire to tyres, disrupting traffic for nearly two hours. Long queues of vehicles formed on both sides of the road as commuters remained stranded.
Police personnel from Kotwali police station reached the spot and attempted to persuade protesters to end the blockade and restore normal traffic movement.
Prashant Kishor Meets Family
Prashant Kishor met Bunty Kumar’s family to understand the circumstances surrounding the alleged kidnapping and offered reassurance.
Speaking to reporters, he said the administration was investigating the case and urged authorities to expedite the search. Referring to the family’s demand for immediate action, he said that if Bunty Kumar was not traced within two days, he would join the family’s sit-in protest.
Kishor also appealed to the public not to politicise the incident, stating that the immediate priority should be ensuring the victim’s safe return.
Alleged Abduction Near Patna Junction
According to police and the victim’s family, Bunty Kumar, a resident of New Karbigahiya under the Jakkanpur police station area, operates a grocery shop.
Late on Monday night, he reportedly went to a nearby shop close to Patna Junction to buy curd. The family alleges that a group of youths assaulted him before forcing him into a black Scorpio SUV and driving away. Eyewitnesses have also reported seeing the alleged abduction.
FIR Names Two Accused
Following the incident, Bunty Kumar’s family lodged an FIR at Kotwali police station.
The complaint names Rohit, an auto-rickshaw driver from Kacchi Dargah, and Ravish Kumar, a resident of the Patna Junction area, along with several unidentified persons as accused in the alleged kidnapping.
SIT Formed, Search Underway
Police have constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the case.
Officials said the SIT carried out raids at multiple locations across Patna until late Tuesday night but had not located Bunty Kumar at the time of reporting. Police said the investigation is progressing using technical evidence and CCTV footage and expressed confidence that the case would be solved soon.
Authorities have maintained that all possible angles are being examined and efforts to trace both the victim and the accused have been intensified.
