In a bizarre incident from Vasai, a 20-year-old man orchestrated a fake kidnapping to extort Rs 30,000 from his father, claiming it was for his motorcycle repairs. The Valiv police station swiftly responded, forming four teams to track down the young man within two hours on Saturday.
The sequence of events began when the man's father, Nanelal Yadav, filed a missing person's report on Friday after his son, Ankit, failed to return home to Shanti Nagar, Fatherwadi, since Thursday evening, and his cellphone was unreachable. On Saturday morning, Ankit contacted his uncle, informing him of a supposed kidnapping by three men. Subsequently, he sent a WhatsApp message to his father, instructing him to make an online payment of Rs 30,000 to the kidnappers via a QR code.
Unaware that his father had involved the police, Ankit's father approached the cops with the messages, expressing concern over threats his son received if the money wasn't paid. Assistant Inspector Sachin Sanap, the investigation officer, initially treated the case as a genuine abduction due to the absence of an apparent reason for Ankit to leave home without informing his parents.
Police teams conducted a thorough search across Vasai, Nalasopara, and Virar. The QR code shared by Ankit led them to a shopkeeper in Vasai Phata, prompting an inquiry without disclosing the shopkeeper's statements. Tracking Ankit's call records, the police located him in Vasai Phata within two hours.
Ankit had been residing in Vasai with his parents for a month, having previously lived in Surat. A preliminary investigation revealed his intention to stage his kidnapping hours before leaving home on Thursday. After travelling to Surat and returning on Friday, he contacted his father, who was unaware of his plans.
Ankit admitted to planning the fake kidnapping and expressed surprise that his father involved the police. The police provided counselling and allowed him to leave.