UP Teen Stages His Own Kidnapping To Extort ₹5 Lakh From Family In Pune, Police Investigation Exposes Plot

Pune: A teenager from Uttar Pradesh allegedly staged his own kidnapping in Maharashtra's Pune and even sent a video of himself crying to convince his family that he had been abducted to extort Rs 5 lakh.

The 19-year-old's plan was to scare his family into paying the money, but the deception came to light when police traced his location to a lodge in Pune. The incident took place on Sunday, and the man was traced in the early hours of Monday.

The youth has been identified as Om Prakash Gaurishankar of Jalalpur village in Baberu taluka of Banda district. He reportedly orchestrated the plan after facing financial difficulties. According to the police, he staged the kidnapping to extort money from his elder brother.

Videos sent to convince family

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, according to police.

He told his family that the kidnappers would release him only if they were paid Rs 5 lakh as ransom, NDTV reported.

Police trace youth to lodge

On Sunday, Om Prakash's family approached the UP police, who then contacted Pune police for assistance. The young man's phone was traced to Khadki area, and he was eventually found at a lodge. When investigators entered the room, they found no kidnappers. Instead, Om Prakash was sitting safely inside the lodge.

He reportedly confessed that he had staged the plan to get money. Police have taken him into custody and are carrying out further legal action in the case.