Durgapur, May 24: A Bankura tractor showroom and sawmill owner was allegedly kidnapped on his way to neighbouring Purulia on Thursday.

Parveen Patel, 42, left home in his Indica on Thursday afternoon, telling his family he would return by evening.

“When he did not return till late at night, we became worried and tried to contact him on his mobile phone but it was not within reach,” said Mohan Patel, a cousin.

Praveen’s driver Arun Das returned to his two-storey house in Bankura town, 230km from Calcutta, yesterday and said an armed gang had intercepted the car near Purulia and dragged Patel into theirs.

Das, who has been detained, said he was forced to drink something when the car came near Durgapur and he lost consciousness. “He apparently woke up in a paddy field,” a police officer said.

Purulia police chief Ashok Prasad said the Patels have not received any ransom call.