The reporter of a Bengali daily who had gone missing from his hometown in Alipurduar district on August 3 tonight called up police claiming he was dropped off by his abductors near a bus stop.
A top police officer of north Bengal said Chayan Sarkar, who was missing for the past five days, resurfaced tonight near Coochbehar town bus stand and called up the local Inspector-in-Charge to say that he was coming to present himself at the police station.
Sarkar, who was being questioned at Kotwali police station in Coochbehar, would be brought to Alipurduar by tomorrow morning. He is then expected to be queried by CID, which had taken over the probe into his disappearance, the officer said.
Sarkar had suddenly disappeared after the arrests of eight persons whom he had named in an FIR for issuing threats to him following a story by him in the last week of July on alleged bribery in a college's admissions.
Sarkar's notebook, scooter and wallet were found lying at a spot at Sarsonbari in Alipurduar town on August 3, triggering protests by the Alipurduar and Jalpaiguri Press Club, which alleged that those behind the admission bribery racket had abducted him.
Eyewitnesses in Coochbehar told police that Sarkar was seen getting off a mechanised rickshaw (locally known as toto) at Coochbehar bus stand and walking towards the police station late tonight.
Being a reporter, his face was known by many in the neighbouring district of Coochbehar and his disappearance, too, was common knowledge.
