Monday, January 9 2006 12:24 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Patna: The body of a kidnapped six-year old child was recovered from Barh, a stronghold of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, even as a businessman abducted from here five days ago remained traceless despite sustained police raids.

Senior Superintendent of Police Kundan Krishnan told sources today (Jan 09, 2006) that the body of Kanhaiya alias Nitish, son of a contractor Jitendra Kumar, who had gone missing from his home in Dhamna village under Barh police station on Saturday night, was recovered from near the village last night.

Five youths between the age group of 18 to 22 who had allegedly strangled the boy were arrested, he said.

Further investigation was on, Krishnan said. Meanwhile, no major breakthrough has been made by police as raids continued to rescue Prashant Jain, whose kidnapping from the state capital last Thursday night, triggered protests by the trading community.

Special Task Force (STF) and police personnel returned empty-handed after carrying out intensive raids in the riverine areas in Barh, Mokama and Bakhtiarpur in Patna district.

Krishnan, however, claimed the police had gathered vital clues in the abduction case "but we can't share information with the press lest it should jeopardise investigation".

Police suspected involvement of the notorious Tunni Singh gang in the kidnapping.

Prashant was abducted by gunmen from near his White House apartment when he was returning to his flat after closing his garment shop near the railway station.