In a strange incident, a branch manager of Union Bank of India (UBI) in Veldhi branch of Manakondur mandal was allegedly abducted by a youth along with his henchmen demanding sanction of loan for his agricultural land on Wednesday night.

Sources said that UBI branch manager Ramesh Kumar was being harassed by a villager P Naresh demanding sanction of Rs 5 lakhs for his one and half acre land in the village. The bank manager informed the accused that he was not eligible for such huge amount of loan. The accused tried to lure him promising to host party and bribe etc, but in vain.

On Wednesday night, the bank manager closed the bank at 6 pm and returning on his motorcycle to Karimnagar town. After travelling for about two kilometres, the accused Naresh along with five others waylaid and stopped his vehicle and dragged him into a car near Lalithapur village of the mandal. They took him to the nearby Kakatiya canal and thrashed him severely demanding loan.

Sensing trouble to his life, the bank manager assured to provide loan and informed the accused to come to the bank with necessary documents. Later, he was released and warned him of dire consequences if he informed the police about the abduction. The manager alerted his superiors and lodged a complaint with the Karimnagar rural police station.

The police along with the victim and other bank officials visited the incident site in the late night. Karimnagar DSP J Rama Rao said that the bank manager was kidnapped and released. They had launched a manhunt to nab the accused, who is presently residing in Nizamabad district. He said that the accused hails from the village, but since last few years he was not visiting his village.

Source: TH