Well-known neurosurgeon Dr Ramesh Chandra was abducted in Patna on Saturday night when he was returning from a medical conference, the police said on Sunday.

"The police have identified the criminal gang involved in the abduction of Dr Chandra and raids are being conducted to secure the safe release of the doctor," Director General of Police D P Ojha said. "The kidnappers have thrown a challenge to the government as well as the police... we have accepted the challenge and will leave no stone unturned to bust gangs enjoying political patronage in the state."

Stating that Chief Minister Rabri Devi had given a free hand to the police to launch a massive offensive against the criminals, he said a meeting of Superintendents of Police of Patna, Nalanda, Vaishali and Jehanabad has been convened to chalk out strategies for smashing these criminal groups.

Union Minister for Small Scale Industries C P Thakur met the families of the abducted neurosurgeon and jeweller Sanjay Dayal, who was also kidnapped by unidentified criminals from Rajendra Nagar on Saturday night.

He said he will request Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani to initiate action against the state government for failing to check rising abduction cases.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the Indian Medical Association has threatened to begin an agitation against the recent spurt in cases of abduction of doctors in the state. Supporting the IMA, Medical Council of India also said that doctors across the state will launch an agitation.

Dr Ajay Kumar, head of the MCI, said the abduction had taken place at a time when Patna was playing host to a conference of neurosurgeons from eight states, and this had further maligned the image of the state. The workshop and the conference has been postponed, he added.

With inputs from Anand Mohan Sahay in Patna