MUMBAI: A 16-year-old boy planed and done his own kidnapping with the help of his friend and demanded a ransom of ₹50 lakh from his father to financially assist his girlfriend’s family, the police said today.
The boy, a resident of Sakinaka Andheri east, and his 19-year-old friend were arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch sleuths from a lodge in Manor in adjoining Palghar district last evening.
One of the relatives of 16-year-old boy had lodged a police complaint, saying he has been kidnapped from Sakinaka and ₹50 lakh has been demanded for his release, he said.
During investigation, it was found that the boy’s father, who works at a warehouse in Talasari of Palghar district, received a phone call from an unidentified number, and demanded for ₹50 lakh for releasing his son.
Caller also warned boy’s father for not informing the police and come alone with the demanded money at the spot given with the ransom money.
As per the demand of the case serious, the Crime Branch initiated a parallel investigation, during which, based on mobile tower location, the caller was traced to a lodge in Manor.
When crime branch team raided a room in the lodge, they found the boy and 19-year-old boy along with the suspected kidnapper,” DCP (Crime Branch) Nisar Tamboli said.
However, during the interrogation, it was revealed that the 19-year-old man was actually a friend who assisted the boy in own kidnapping to get Rs. 50 lakh from his father to help the girlfriend family resident of Palghar, whose family was facing financial crisis, another official said. The duo was later handed over to Sakinaka police for further investigation.
