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Banker plots own kidnapping to clear loans, booked
The incident was reported on Thursday night when police received a call informing them of the kidnapping of Viraj by three individuals from Dighi and they were demanding ₹5 lakh
A 27-year-old banker employed in the sales department of a reputed bank in Vimannagar branch was implicated on Monday in a scheme to orchestrate his own kidnapping, allegedly in a bid to clear his mounting debts. The accused has been identified as Viraj Vikas Deshpande (27) from Vimannagar, who collaborated with a friend Rahul Kumar to execute the kidnapping plan, which has since resulted in legal consequences.
The incident was reported on Thursday night when police received a call informing them of the kidnapping of Viraj by three individuals from Dighi and they were demanding ₹5 lakh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shivaji Pawar said, “The accused had accumulated significant debts from loans acquired through instant mobile loan applications. Faced with the burden of repayment and harassment from them, the individual resorted to desperate measures, concocting a plan to feign abduction and extort money from his own family.’’
Assistant Police Inspector Nitin Ambhore, Dighi Police Station said, “By using the mobile phone of Rahul Kumar, accused Viraj made a kidnapping call to his sister Vrinda Hirwalkar. The accused threatened that, if they fail to pay the amount then they will kill Viraj.’’
Acting swiftly on the distress call, a team from the Dighi police station, and a team of the crime branch initiated a search operation. After technical analysis, they found Viraj at the Royal Logic Hotel in Wagholi. When police asked him about the kidnapping, he failed to provide satisfactory answers.
Police said during further interrogation, accused Viraj confessed that he had hatched his own kidnapping plan to get money from his parents to clear his loans.
Dighi police have registered a case against the accused under IPC section 182 (False information, with intent to cause public servant) and on Monday police approached the court seeking permission for further investigation.
