Cops claim raids led to hotelier’s release

Uday Shankar Chanda in the city on Sunday Dhanbad police claimed on Monday that raids by them had forced hotel executive Uday Shankar Chanda’s abductors to release him without collecting ransom. Sources, however, maintained that the executive director of the three-star Skylark Hotel in Dhanbad was released after his family members paid ransom. The deputy inspector general of police (coal belt), Lakshman Prasad Singh, said: “No ransom was paid to secure the release of Uday Shankar Chanda. The criminals released him because of the pressure exerted by the police.” He added: “We have been conducting raids in Bihar, including Lakhisarai, Jamui and Munger. The gangs there were under pressure, which led to the hotelier’s release.” Singh refused to divulge details of Chanda’s release. The hotelier would soon depose before cops, the DIG said. The superintendent of Dhanbad police, Ravi Kant Dhan, said raids would be conducted to arrest the abductors. Chanda had gone missing on July 2 on the way to Calcutta from Dhanbad. Dilip Kumar Singh, who was driving the hotelier’s car, also went missing. Both were accompanied by Dhanbad police to Calcutta from Kiul in Bihar on Sunday.