Patna, Sep 16 (IANS): Six labourers of Jehanabad, who went to Tamil Nadu's Erode in search of a job, have allegedly been kidnapped for ransom by local touts there.

Despite the victims' families paying up Rs 20,000 each through PhonePe, the captives were not released.

Then, the father of one of the labourers moved an application before Jehanabad SP Dipak Ranjan seeking their release.

Jitendra Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Valmiki Kumar, Pawan Kumar, Chitranjan Kumar and Ashok Kumar, all natives of Maheeda Sarangpur village, had boarded on train from Jehanabad on September 11 and reached Erode on September 14.

Upon reaching the railway station of Erode, local touts offered them lucrative jobs and took them away.

Later, they snatched their mobiles and belongings and made them captives.

On Friday, the kidnapper used the phone of Ashok Kumar and demanded ransom from his family. He also threatened dire consequences if the police were approached.

Following that threatening call, the family members of all six labourers sent Rs 20,000 each through PhonePe but they did not release them.

The Jehanabad SP have constituted a team headed by DSP Rajiv Kumar Singh and labour superintendent to investigate the incident.