Samajwadi Party leader's son kidnapped by gang of dacoits

Lucknow: The dreaded Babuli Kol dacoit gang has kidnapped a family member of a Samajwadi Party leader in Markundi area in Chitrakoot district.

The gang also kidnapped railway gateman Balwant before abducting Vijay, son of SP leader Santosh Singh, on Saturday night.

SP Chitrakoot Gopendra Singh said that the family members of Santosh Singh were returning from Satna to Manikpur in their car when the dacoits stopped them at Tikriya railway crossing.

The gang first kidnapped Vijay and then the railway gateman when the politician’s family was crossing the railway gate after midnight.

Though the SP leader and their family were about 15 to 20 in numbers, the dacoits got hold of them, beat them up and abducted Vijay along with the gateman.

Several trains were delayed as there was no one to close the railway crossing after the abduction of the gateman.

The kidnapping incident is said to be an act of revenge after their gang member Gopa Yadav was arrested by the UP police of Saturday.

The UP government has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on dacoit Kol and Gopa Yadav carried a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head.

The police has set up six teams to find the kidnapped persons.