Indore\Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The 20-year old woman NEET aspirant, resident of Shivpuri district, was not kidnapped, but had faked it to extract money from her parents as she wanted to study abroad with her male friend, said Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan police on Wednesday.
Kota SP Amrita Duhan talking to Free Press said Kavya Dhakad had gone to Kota with her mother on August 3, 2023 and stayed there for two to three days in a hostel and then had come to Indore to join her friends.
She had not told her mother about her move. Since then, she was staying at a hostel in Bhanwarkuan area. A CCTV footage has also surfaced showing the girl with one of her male friends. "The girl has not been kidnapped, she is with her friends," the Kota SP said.
Her "kidnapping" came to light on Monday when Kayva's father Raghuveer Dhakad received a photo where she as seen tied with ropes along with ransom demand of Rs 30 lakh for her release. The incident gained traction after Union civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia spoke to Rajasthan CM Bhajanlal Sharma to find the girl and bring her back safely, sending Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh police on high alert.
The girl hails from Bairad of MP's Shivpuri district. Police said that a joint team of Kota and Indore police managed talked to one Brijendra, who lives in a hostel in Bhanwarkuan, and he told police that the girl wanted to study abroad. A Kota police team has taken Brijendra to Kota for further investigation. Police made it clear that Brijendra is not an accused, but is helping the police.
Indore police said that they searched for Kavya and her other male friend throughout Tuesday, but could not trace them.
Earlier, in CCTV footage of March 18, barely 3 hours before the alleged kidnapping, the student was seen at Durgapura railway station in Jaipur. In the footage, she was seen walking with two boys. Kota police have also reached the station to investigate. The girl's location is being ascertained on the basis of CCTV.
Not leaving any stone unturned, Kota SP has announced a reward of Rs 20,000 for anyone who gives information about the girl.
