Ahmedabad: A distress call claiming a child's abduction and demanding a ransom of Rs 15 lakh sparked widespread concern and led to an extensive manhunt across Gujarat. After hours of investigation, the police were both relieved and shocked when they discovered that the "kidnapped" child was involved in orchestrating the plot himself.
The call, received at the Gandhinagar police control room, reported that the caller's nephew, also his son, had been kidnapped. The crime was seemingly corroborated by a video of the purported abduction, which was forwarded to the police, thus heightening the urgency of the situation. The police quickly sprang into action, launching an all-out search and investigation.
As part of their efforts, the police traced the origin of the calls to a location near Sindhubhan Road in Ahmedabad, where they discovered the supposed victim unharmed. This significant find offered the police some relief, though the unfolding narrative took an unexpected turn as the child began to speak.
The child revealed to the police that he was abducted in a vanity van - an assertion that raised eyebrows, considering the scarcity of such vehicles in Ahmedabad. The child's statement changed multiple times during questioning, eventually leading to a startling admission: the kidnapping was an orchestrated plot carried out by the child and his friends.
The child, revealed to be the son of a prominent jeweler, admitted to staging his abduction to help his friends pay off a Rs 10 lakh debt. They planned to use Rs 5 lakh for personal purposes, and hence the ransom demand was set at Rs 15 lakh in total.
Despite the extensive police resources used to address this false alarm, the authorities chose not to file a formal complaint, given the child's minor status. However, the incident was officially recorded. The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has exposed this unique plot, a case that will likely be remembered for its unusual twists and turns.
