Bengaluru: Inspired by Kannada film ‘Operation Alamelamma’, a 16-year-old boy from Kanakapura, Bengaluru faked his own kidnapping to extort money from his parents, but wasn’t successful. It all began on On November 6, when he left his home on a two-wheeler and told his parents that he is going to a centre to get photocopies.
However, when he reached Bengaluru, the teenager parked his bike near Nayandahalli Metro Station and boarded a train. After reaching Majestic, he took a bus to Tirupati and checked into a lodge, Times of India reported.
When he didn’t return home, his anxious parents lodged a missing complaint. On Saturday morning, the boy’s father received a photograph and a video on WhatsApp, his half-naked son was pictured gagged, his arms tied. An accompanying message stated that he should pay Rs 5 lakh if he wants his son released.
After receiving the ransom call, police were called in to investigate and search for him. The police team tracked the messages and found that that they had originated from a lodge in Tirupati. A team was dispatched to Tirupati and the boy was arrested.
When he was questioned, the teenager confessed to faking his kidnapping to extort money from his parents.
The police said, “With no school, the boy’s parents were forcing him to study, but he was not interested. He later hatched the kidnap plan inspired by Kannada movie Operation Alamelamma. However, he failed.”
In a similar incident in July, a 19-year-old girl plotted her own kidnapping with her boyfriend’s help and then asked for a ransom of Rs 1 crore from her father in Etah, Uttar Pradesh. The girl allegedly posed as a kidnapper and talked in Haryanvi tone to her parents, fooling even the police.
However, later, they sensed that things felt fishy due to continuous negotiations and long-hour calls by the kidnapper. The police then tracked down her mobile number, which was traced around 200m from her home.