The abducted Prashant Jain, son of a prominent businessman, was freed by abductors on Tuesday near Gandhi Setur bridge in Patna district, a police official in Patna said.

Jain was abducted in Patna on January 5 by unidentified armed criminals. "Jain was freed by abductors about 12 days after he was abducted," police officials said.

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Earlier, police had said that Jain was released by abductors in Bakhtiyarpur, but later they claimed that abductors left him on the bridge on the outskirts of Patna.

According to police sources, the abductors freed him due to heavy police pressure and raids to recover him.

The news of Jain's release has come as a big relief to his family and relatives in Patna. Jain's abduction had shocked them as well as the business community, who threatened to protest against the incident on Friday and demanded his immediate release.

Prashant Jain is the brother of Shilpi Jain, who was murdered in mysterious circumstances a few years ago.