Bihar woman stages own kidnapping to escape family restrictions

A woman in Bihar’s Rohtas district allegedly staged her own kidnapping and attempted to mislead police and her family by sending a WhatsApp message claiming she had been abducted. Police later traced and recovered her from Dehri-on-Sone railway station after conducting an investigation into the alleged kidnapping case. The incident was reported from the Dalmianagar police station area in Dehri.

According to police, the woman, daughter of Santosh Mahto of Maneri Bigha, had left home on April 28 to attend college but did not return. After family members failed to locate her despite extensive searches, they approached the police and reported her missing. On April 29, the family received a WhatsApp message sent from her mobile phone claiming that she had been kidnapped and was being held somewhere in Sasaram.

Following the message, police formed a special investigation team and launched a search operation to trace her location. Officials said the investigation initially yielded no significant clues regarding her whereabouts. After continuous efforts and technical surveillance, police eventually traced her location to Dehri-on-Sone railway station, where she was found under suspicious circumstances and taken into custody for questioning.

During interrogation, the woman allegedly told police that she was unhappy with restrictions imposed by her family and wanted greater personal freedom. According to police officials, she claimed that family members frequently imposed social restrictions on her, which caused mental distress. Investigators said she admitted to planning the fake kidnapping in an attempt to escape those restrictions and pressure at home.

Police officials stated that the woman was counselled after recovery and later handed over to her family members. Authorities also said that during the week-long investigation, the woman had allegedly continued to mislead both police and relatives regarding her location and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.