In Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur district, a Class 9 student staged his own kidnapping in order to buy an iPhone with the ransom money he planned to collect from his father.
He took the action after his father, who owns a small clothing store, expressed his inability to purchase the device for him.
Minor was caught
The minor, however, was apprehended when police began investigating the case and tracked him down to his friend's house.
The boy had used a friend's phone to make a ransom call to his father, demanding Rs 5 lakh.
According to SHO Sitapur Kotwali T.P. Singh, the boy attends a government school and lives with his father. When he was a year old, his mother died.
Father, relatives start manhunt for boy
"When the student did not return home after school on Wednesday, his father and other relatives started a manhunt. Later, they got a ransom call on WhatsApp for Rs 5 lakh. The amount had to be delivered at Khairabad near a mosque," said Singh.
After the father informed the police, cops, cyber and SOG teams of the district got on the case.
"We assured the complainant about his son's rescue and a team in civvies was attached with him while he was collecting the amount for the safe release of his son," said the SHO.
Later in the night, the police had zeroed in on the location of the mobile phone used for the ransom call.
When the mobile phone owner, a footwear shop owner, was questioned, it came to light that the phone was being used by his son, who was also a student of class 9.
"A woman police officer was asked to confront the class 9 student who spilled the beans. Later, another team traced the missing child from his house," said the SHO.
The boy has been handed over to his father after counselling.
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