Lucknow, Sep 19 (IANS): A 50-year-old contractor jumped into the Gomti River here alleging harassment by his fellow contractors.

The contractor, Arun Mishra, was missing from his Chinhat residence since Sunday.

Local residents informed the police about the incident after finding an abandoned scooter at the spot. A team of divers was pressed into service but could not trace him.

The search operation was halted after sunset and will resume on Tuesday.

Senior police officers reached the spot to supervise the operations.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Vibhuti Khand, Anindya Vikram Singh, said that Mishra’s identity was ascertained from the registration number of his scooter.

A police team reached Mishra’s home, where his son Saurabh Mishra alleged that his father was being harassed by a group of contractors. “They were blackmailing him and threatening to upload his morphed pictures on social media,” Saurabh alleged.

“My father left home on Sunday evening, telling my mother that he was going to settle a dispute with his harassers, but did not return home,” Saurabh said.

The ACP said that an FIR had been lodged at the BBD police station and further investigations were on.