Crompton Greaves official abducted in MP

Gwalior, Aug 7 (UNI) A personnel manager employed in the Crompton Greaves Limited's unit at nearby Malanpur was abducted by unidentified ruffians while returning home by the factory bus this evening.

The accused, in two cars, stopped the bus near Maharajpur, boarded the vehicle, asked for Mr Vishal Shrivastav and then took him to the Jhansi Bypass Road. Curiously, Mr Shrivastav was ''freed'' after he ''agreed'' to pay Rs 2 lakh ''later.'' The Manager was even dropped off by car at his Silver Estate Colony here.

''The drivers of both cars -- used in the abduction -- have been arrested and interrogation is in progress. Both vehicles were hired from a private travel agency,'' said Superintendent of Police V K Suryavanshi.

Mr Ashwini Bhatt, a senior executive of pharma major Nicholas Piramal, and his driver were abducted in this state on January 18 and eventually traced by a Special Task Force.

UNI XC-AC 2152