Latur, Nov 10 (PTI) A farmer and four of his associates were allegedly abducted and threatened amid rivalry over the

Latur, Nov 10 (PTI) A farmer and four of his associates were allegedly abducted and threatened amid rivalry over the

Latur, Nov 10 (PTI) A farmer and four of his associates were allegedly abducted and threatened amid rivalry over the

Latur, Nov 10 (PTI) A farmer and four of his associates were allegedly abducted and threatened amid rivalry over the upcoming Latur District Central Co-operative Bank (DCCB) elections in Maharashtra, police said.

The incident occurred on Sunday, they said, adding that a case has been registered against two persons.

The bank, which has 19 directors on its board, has been under Congress control. The BJP-led Mahayuti alliance is contesting the November 15 polls under the banner of the Rayateche Raje Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Parivartan Panel, challenging the Congress-backed Sahkar Panel.

Local farmer Vinod Rajendra Veer (38), in his police complaint, said that he and four others were abducted while travelling to Mailar in Karnataka to visit a temple on the occasion of Diwali.

The five left Nilanga in Latur district in a four-wheeler on Sunday evening. When they reached near a bridge at Aurad Shahajani, some police personnel stopped their vehicle and asked whether they had been kidnapped, following reports of a possible abduction.

The occupants said they were travelling together for a religious visit, following which the police left, he claimed.

Shortly afterwards, a car intercepted their vehicle, and a man and an unidentified accomplice allegedly forced the five into it. The accused claimed to be associated with a former minister's relative and threatened to shoot them if they raised an alarm, Veer alleged.

The accused took them towards Kasarshirsi and questioned them about their identities and connection with the DCCB elections.

After learning that Veer and one of his associates were not voters in the bank elections, the accused dropped the two near the Kasarshirsi bus stand and warned them not to disclose the incident, he alleged.

Congress workers staged a protest outside the Aurad Shahajani police station on Monday evening, demanding that a case be registered against the accused.

Based on the farmer's complaint, the Aurad Shahajani police registered an FIR on Monday night against two persons under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections 140(3) (kidnapping), 351(2), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 3(5) (common intention), an official said.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)