Dreaded dacoit Babuli Kol and his gang members kidnapped son of a Samajwadi Party leader in Markundi area of Chitrakoot district on late Saturday night allegedly to avenge the arrest of their gang member dacoit Goppa who was netted on Saturday.

They also kidnapped a railway gateman Balwant before abducting the Samajwadi Party leader's son.

On Sunday noon, the dacoits demanded ransom from the family for safe release of SP leader's son.

Vijay, son of a SP leader Santosh Singh, along with his family members was returning from Satna to Manikpur in their car when the dacoit gang stopped them when they were crossing the Tikriya railway tracks in the midnight. The arm wielding gang members surrounded Vijay and his family members and later singled out Vijay from them. They forced the family members to leave the scene before fleeing the scene. When they were going along with Vijay, they kidnapped the railway gateman Balwant also.

Superintendent of police (SP) Gopendra Singh said though the SP leader and their family were in around 15 to 20 in numbers but the dacoit gang got hold of them easily and after beating them, went away with Vijay along with the gateman. "It is confirmed that Babuli Kol gang had hand in the kidnapping because Kol had talked to Vijay's father demanding ransom," Gopendra said. He said the police was acting cautiously on the case as the dacoits were in possession of catch (pakad). "They may harm Vijay or Balwant. But it is strange that Kol gang kidnapped any government employee till the date,' he said.

He said in the light of the modus operandi of Kol gang or other dacoit gangs it was never reported that they kidnapped any government employee. "This happened first time in the history of dacoits that they kidnapped any government employee,' Gopendra said.

He rubbished the reports that the Kol gang executed the crime to avenge the arrest of Goppa Yadav whom the police nabbed on Saturday. "Goppa had no links with Kol gang. Besides, Kol hardly will be aware of Goppa's arrest. Both work separately and they never had any joint operation,' Gopendra said. He added that the police had a talk with the senior officials in the railway also on the issue.    

Due to the abduction of the railway gateman, several trains got delayed as there was no one to close the railway crossing.  UP Government had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on dacoit Babuli Kol and the recent kidnapping incident was said to be the revenge on the arrest of gang member Gopa Yadav by the UP police on Saturday.

UP police had declared a reward of Rs 1 lakh on Gopa Yadav.

However, due to the incident, tension prevailed in the area though police has set up six teams in search of the kidnapped persons. The kidnapping is said to have been executed to avenge the arrest of Kol gang member Goppa Yadav who was arrested by UP police on Saturday.

Meanwhile, heavy police forces are camping in the area and senior officials including the ADG Zone were monitoring the investigation of the case. The entire area was being combed by the policemen. Also the police are in touch with some persons who had sound information about the Kol gang and its members. Sources said the police priority was to locate Vijay and rescue him. "But the police had no plan to confront the gang as it may risk Vijay's life. The Kol gang members are continuously in talk with Vijay's family. The police had also taken help from surveillance cell to trace the location of the victims,' the sources disclosed.