Police rescued a scrap dealer after he was abducted from Gazole in Malda district and arrested a person in this connection on Tuesday.

The police sources said Sujit Haldar, a resident of Kunjaghat in Murshidabad, works as a scrap dealer in Gurgaon. “On Sunday, a group of miscreants, led by Mukaddar Ali, intercepted Halder at Gazole while he was waiting for a bus to reach Murshidabad and abducted him.” said a police source.

“They forced Halder to board an auto and took him to Meherpur, a remote village in Jatradanga area under Maldaha police station, and kept him at Ali’s house there.”

The cops said the abductors had demanded a ransom of Rs 1.5 lakh from Halder’s family.

Hirak Biswas, the inspector-in-charge of Maldaha police station, said Halder’s family contacted them and also filed a complaint. “We started a search and managed to locate the village where Halder was kept. We raided the village and rescued Halder. The abductors including, Ali and his associates, managed to escape the spot during the raid but later, we could arrest Ali. Searches are on to nab his associates,” Biswas added.

The police said they would find out whether Halder was abducted for ransom or there was any other reason behind it. “We will speak with the victim to gather information. He will be handed over to his family,” said an officer.