2 arrested as Gujarat family held hostage in Bengal over ₹15 lakh ransom for fake passports
A man from Haripal in Hooghly district staged his own kidnapping and sent a fake ransom message to his wife, demanding ₹15 lakh. The man had gone missing suddenly, after which his wife received a text saying, “If you want your husband alive, keep ₹15 lakh ready.” The family, believing it to be a real abduction, immediately informed the police.
Haripal police launched an investigation and began tracking the man's mobile location and digital trail. During the probe, officers found inconsistencies in the message and call details. The man was eventually traced to a relative’s residence, where he was hiding. Upon being taken into custody, he admitted to faking the kidnapping due to financial problems and confessed to sending the threatening message himself.
Police officials confirmed that no actual abduction had occurred. The man had deliberately gone into hiding to create pressure on his family for money. He was detained for misleading the police and fabricating a criminal incident. Legal action has been initiated against him.