Youth Congress leader goes missing in UP

35-year-old Nishant Patel, who was looking after the Youth Congress organisational elections, is missing since Monday from Hotel Utsav where he was staying since July 2, inspector general of police K L Meena said.

Nishant, a returning officer for the Mishrik Lok Sabha constituency, is the son of senior Gujarat Congress leader and former minister Hasmukh Patel.

"Nishant was last seen on Monday morning and could not be traced since then. Both of his mobiles and other belongings are in the hotel room," he said.

Meena said Nishant was last seen going on a rickshaw towards the railway station.

The IG said a missing report has been lodged on the information given by another returning officer, Sukhwant Singh Barar.

Four members of the hotel staff, including the manager, have been quizzed so far, he said.

Nishant is said to be a close aide of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.