The Mahalakshmi Layout police tracked a 20-year-old student who allegedly faked his own kidnapping in an attempt to extort ₹5 lakh from his father. He later told the police he needed the money to pay off a loan he had taken.
The police have identified the victim-turned-accused as Makhthum, who studies in a private college in Bengaluru. His father, Gani, is a civil contractor from Kurubarahalli.
Last Sunday, Makhthum left his house to meet some friends and did not return home. His parents started searching for him and calling his friends. Within hours, they received a WhatsApp voice message from Makhthum’s mobile phone. In the message, the son claimed that he had been kidnapped by four to five people who were demanding ₹5 lakh for his release.
A few minutes later, Mr. Gani received another voice message from Makhthum stating that he had been tortured for ransom. He begged his father to arrange the money at the earliest. Mr. Gani immediately contacted the police for help. A team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Dharmender Kumar Meena started tracking the student.
“His friends said that Makhthum had partied with them on Sunday, but then rented a car to leave the city. The police analysed call record details and also GPS information from the rental company,” said a police officer.
Both data indicated that Makhthum was in Tirupati. A team immediately went to Andhra Pradesh and after an intensive search operation traced him to a lodge on Tuesday. However, when they went to ‘rescue’ him, they found him alone in the room unharmed.
When questioned, Makhthum allegedly confessed that he had racked up loans amounting to ₹3 lakh after spending money on his girlfriend and indulging in luxuries. When the moneylenders started demanding repayment, he came up with a plan to steal from his father by faking his kidnapping. The police let Makhthum off with a warning and are filing a B-report.
