Cooch Behar police rescued a trader who was abducted for ransom, and arrested the abductors within an hour of the crime reported in a police outpost on Sunday.

Dyutiman Bhattacharya, the superintendent of police of Cooch Behar, said that around 9.30am, Parimal Mondal, a resident of Nishiganj in Mathabhanga subdivision of the district, informed the local police outpost that Subaran Mondal, his brother, a trader by occupation, was abducted by unidentified persons around 2am.

“He told us that he started receiving phone calls from unknown numbers with callers demanding ransom from him in exchange for his brother's release,” said the SP.

The abductors, he said, gave Parimal different addresses under the jurisdiction of the Nishiganj police outpost, asking him to reach those places with the money.

The police asked Parimal to start negotiating with the abductors.

“Initially, they demanded ₹4 lakh as ransom. Through negotiations, they agreed to ₹1 lakh. Parimal Mondal was finally asked to reach in front of the Nishiganj College with the cash,” said a police officer.

Parimal, along with some other members of his family, reached there with the money. As they approached the abductors, a team of policemen in plainclothes intercepted them. All five involved in the abduction were nabbed.

Subaran was found in a vehicle that was parked nearby.

“We recovered the cash, a cell phone and some cash from the five persons. The four-wheeler has also been seized. The entire operation was over within an hour since we got the information,” said Bhattacharya.

The five were taken to the Nishiganj police outpost.

“Our officers are interrogating them to gather more information,” he added.