Chatra man fakes kidnap, cops find him in forest

Ranchi: A contractor was booked for faking his own abduction and demanding a ransom amount of Rs 15 lakh from his relatives in order to tide over the financial losses incurred as a result of the lockdown, police said on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, SDPO Chatra Varun Rajak said that a case was lodged with the Sadar police station on Monday by a relative of Verma, claiming that the latter has been kidnapped. On Tuesday, a special investigation team found Verma alone in a forest near Unta village on the Itkhori-Chauparan road. A mobile phone and Rs 3,800 have been seized from him, the SDPO added.
A case under section 420 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against Verma.
During questioning, Verma said that pretending to be a kidnapper, he sent messages to his relatives demanding Rs 15 lakh for his release. In his messages to the relatives, he warned them against informing the police. Verma did not call up his family members to demand money.
Chatra SP Rishav Jha said “Verma informed us that he was under pressure from his workers for payment and had no money. He used to supply workers to companies in Gujarat and was also responsible for their payment. However, due to the lockdown, he was not receiving money from the companies while the workers were asking for payment.”