Worried about exams, teen fakes kidnapping

The boy told police he was pulled into a car carrying 4 persons and sedated.

A 13-year-old boy from Ghatkopar allegedly staged his own kidnapping on Sunday in a bid to evade his upcoming exams.

The police said that around 1pm on Sunday, Rahul Shah (name changed) left his residence to buy paper from a stationery shop nearby.

“According to the version of events given by Rahul initially, the stationery shop was shut. This prompted him to go further to get the sheets from another shop,” said an officer from Ghatkopar police, requesting anonymity.

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Rahul told the police that as he walked ahead, a white Maruti Omni halted near him. The Omni van was carrying four persons including the driver.

“He even gave us the vehicle’s registration number to substantiate his claims,” the officer said. “Rahul then said that one person got off the car and pulled him in. He said that he was sedated thereafter.”

Rahul reportedly told the police that when he regained consciousness, he found himself alone in the car near the Ghatkopar Bridge.

Using the money he was carrying to buy paper, he called up his residence. “He told his parents he had been kidnapped. The call ended abruptly, sending his parents into panic mode,” said the officer.

Soon, Rahul’s parents accompanied by the police, traced the shop from where the boy had made the call. The shopkeeper guided the police on the

direction in which Rahul had headed. The police spotted Rahul near the Ghatkopar station.

“When we questioned the boy, his answers kept changing. This made us suspicious. Later, the boy confessed that he was worried about his exams on February 9 and had therefore faked his own kidnapping,” said inspector Rajkumar Kothmire, Ghatkopar police station.