Patna, Nov 27 - The son of a Bihar minister remained untraced Friday, a day after he went missing. Minor Irrigation Minister Dinesh Prasad Kushwaha now suspects he may have been abducted for ransom.

Kushwaha's 35-year-old son Ajay Prasad has been missing since Thursday morning after he left his home in Muzaffarpur town, about 70 km from here, to go to a nearby cigarette shop.

Minister Kushwaha said he suspects his son may have been kidnapped. "I have appealed to abductors to release him if he has been abducted," Kushwaha told IANS.

Police said they have registered a missing complaint and begun investigations.

Abductions for ransom and revenge are common in Bihar. According to police sources here, 45 people have been abducted for ransom in the state from January to July this year. Last year, 32 people were kidnapped during the same period. (IANS)