A first-year student in Rajasthan’s Kota allegedly staged his own kidnapping, sending photos of himself bound and gagged to his parents and demanding ₹ 2 lakh as ransom, the police reported on Thursday.
According to Superintendent of Police Amrita Duhan, Bhojraj Gochar from Jagpura had reported his 18-year-old son Suraj Gochar missing after he failed to return home on Tuesday. In response, a team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Manish Sharma was formed to locate the teenager.
During the investigation, it was revealed that Bhojraj Gochar received a ransom demand via WhatsApp for ₹ 2 lakh along with a photo of his son bound and gagged, purportedly sent from his son’s own phone.
Following detailed inquiries and technical analysis, the police apprehended Suraj Gochar later that evening at Jaipur Junction station, as disclosed by Ms. Duhan.
She further explained that Suraj Gochar, influenced by a television series, devised the scheme to recover ₹ 40,000 he had lost in an online game. He had left home under the guise of completing his admission form, traveling to Jaipur where he staged a photo of himself tied up and gagged in a hostel room using the timer function on his phone’s camera, before sending it to his father.
The incident underscores the influence of media and online content on impressionable individuals, leading to misguided actions with serious consequences.