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UP man struggling financially fakes kidnapping, demands ₹5 lakh from family
The accused, Om Prakash Gaurishankar of Jalalpur village in Baberu taluka of Banda district, allegedly hatched the plan after facing financial difficulties.
A 19-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh allegedly staged his own kidnapping in Pune and demanded ₹5 lakh from his family, prompting police in his home town and Pune to launch a search before tracing him to a lodge in Khadki, police said.
The incident was reported on Sunday, and the man was traced in the early hours of Monday.
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The accused, Om Prakash Gaurishankar of Jalalpur village in Baberu taluka of Banda district, allegedly hatched the plan after facing financial difficulties. According to the police, he staged the kidnapping to extract money from his elder brother.
Police said Om Prakash informed his family that he had been kidnapped and demanded money for his safe release. To make the claim appear genuine, he allegedly sent his family videos of himself crying and pleaded for ransom.
Uttar Pradesh cops investigate
The Uttar Pradesh police contacted their Pune counterpart after the family approached Shahjahanpur police on Sunday.
The mobile phone of Om Prakash was traced to Khadki area, and he was eventually found at a lodge. Om Prakash allegedly admitted that he had fabricated the incident to obtain money.
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Santosh Pandhare, senior inspector, Bund Garden Police Station, said, “The accused was recently selected as an Agniveer and has documents related to it. He landed in Pune to complete medical and other related procedures before August 27. To get money from his brother, he hatched his own kidnapping plan.”
Police said Om Prakash is in an alleged romantic relationship with a girl, which is opposed by his family. Investigators are examining whether the relationship was also a factor behind the alleged plan.
