A senior official says: ``Investigations have indicated the probable area where he or his abductors are stationed. But it would be improper to divulge the details at this stage.'' The clue reportedly surfaced after police perused Hussain's cellphone records.

Several policemen have been sent to the area, which is ``very far from the route Hussain took'' while driving to his Sahibabad home on Monday night.

Though Hussain's relatives have not received a ransom call so far, the police have converted the missing person's complaint to a case of abduction. ``No accidents have been reported from around the area where he went missing. Investigations into nursing homes and garages there have also drawn a blank,'' the official said.

Around 10.15 p.m. on Monday, Hussain had dropped his friend Major Srinivasan at Laxmibai Nagar, near the INA market. He called up his wife around the same time from his cellphone. Around 10.45 p.m., he spoke to her once again from the Mayur Vihar area, saying he would be home within 15 minutes.

``So far, his wife's statement and cellphone records have established where Hussain was till 10.45 p.m. What happened thereafter is a mystery,'' adds a police official.