Police rescue abducted coal trader from Jharkhand within 48 hrs
The Statesman | 24 May 2025
Forty-eight hours after his abduction, the Special Task Force (STF) of Purulia Police successfully rescued coal trader Lokesh Gorai of Brajapur village, Jhalda, from the notorious Wasseypur area in Dhanbad, Jharkhand.
Lokesh Gorai was abducted by four masked men while out for a morning walk in Jhalda, Purulia district. The kidnappers had covered their faces with gamchas.
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Upon receiving information from Gorai’s wife, Jhalda police station immediately alerted all bordering police stations.
Abhijit Banerjee, Superintendent of Police (SP) of Purulia, stated that a special team comprising the STF, Jhalda police station, and the Bogolota police investigation centre was formed. CCTV footage was reviewed as part of the investigation.
“Police identified a black SUV based on CCTV evidence, and eyewitnesses confirmed that the same vehicle was used in the abduction. We launched a coordinated pursuit from multiple directions. Under pressure, the abductors abandoned both the victim and the vehicle near the Bhuli Police Outpost in Dhanbad district, Jharkhand. Both have been recovered,” SP Banerjee said.
Gorai has since been reunited with his family. Meanwhile, police operations are ongoing to apprehend the absconding gang members.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the abduction may have stemmed from a business dispute involving Gorai’s partners in the coal trade in Jharkhand.