Three days after a 39-year-old businessman from Mira Road was abducted by four people from Palghar, the police are yet to trace him or his kidnappers. Police said one of the victim’s business rivals, who is also missing, is the prime suspect in the case.

Arif Shaikh, 39, runs a firm that manufactures metal parts for blenders and grinders. Shaikh’s mother and his wife have stayed put at the Palghar police station since Friday morning and vowed not to return to their residence till Shaikh returns.

On Thursday afternoon, Shaikh boarded an autorickshaw from Palghar railway station to go to his factory, located around 5km away. However, when the auto was a few metres away from the factory, an SUV waylaid them and four people forced Shaikh to get into the vehicle and sped away.

Police have learnt that after abducting Shaikh, his kidnappers had changed vehicles.

“The SUV was found at Boisar on Thursday night. We got information that the kidnappers transferred the victim to another car and were seen crossing the toll naka on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway the same night. We have clues that the victim could be in Gujarat or in Daman and surrounding areas,” said Dashrath Patil, police inspector at Palghar.

Police have also called a 40-year-old woman, who is currently in Bengaluru, for questioning. Officials said that the woman had been working at a factory Shaikh supplied metal parts to, and was sacked by the owner of the firm for alleged misappropriation of funds. They said the woman blamed Shaikh for her sacking.

Patil said the prime suspect in the case and one of Shaikh’s business rivals, who also runs a metal parts firm, is missing and has switched off his phone. They have detained his brother for questioning.

“Four teams are working on the case ,” said Patil.

First Published: May 12, 2019 03:34 IST