Four masked men in a white Scorpio intercepted another SUV on a busy highway near Asansol in West Burdwan and attempted to abduct a seven-year-old boy, while he was on his way to school on Monday morning.

The boy is the grandson of a prominent local businessman.

The kidnap bid was foiled after people alerted by the driver of the boy's SUV came rushing and the goons had to flee.

A highway patrol jeep later arrived at the spot and chased the Scorpio that managed to escape.

As the goons fled, the driver contacted the child's father, who lives in Raniganj, to inform him about the incident. The father asked the driver to return home with the child.

The child, a Class II student studying in an English medium school in Asansol, regularly travels 12km to the educational institution in the SUV from his home.

The child's grandfather, who owns several sponge iron factories, lodged a complaint of a kidnap attempt with the police.

"The incident revealed that those persons tried to abduct my grandson. I have lodged a police complaint. Let the police investigate. I have no enmity with anybody. Why will anyone try to kidnap my grandson?" asked the elderly businessman.