Karnataka Man, 40, Stages Own Kidnapping To Extort Rs 90 Lakh From Father

A 40-year-old man allegedly staged his own kidnapping and demanded 90 lakh from his 62-year-old father, before being caught sleeping in a room in Karnataka's Hassan district along with two associates.

The main accused has been identified as Manish, while his father, Manohar Patel, was allegedly targeted in the plan.

According to police, Manish told his father that he was travelling to Gadag district by train in connection with a money-related transaction and would call him the following morning.

The next morning, Manohar received a WhatsApp call from his son's number. Two of Manish's associates allegedly told him that Manish had been kidnapped and demanded Rs 90 lakh for his release.

Alarmed by the call, Manohar approached the police, following which they began tracking Manish's mobile phone. The phone was initially switched off, but Manohar later received another call from a different number asking whether the ransom amount had been arranged.

The police tracked the second number to the Hassan region and traced the location to a room, where they allegedly found Manish sleeping comfortably with two other men.

During interrogation, police allegedly found that Manish had fabricated the kidnapping with the help of his associates in an attempt to extort money from his father.

A case has been registered, and all three accused have been arrested. They have been remanded in judicial custody at the Parappana Agrahara Central Prison.

"This was not an actual kidnapping for ransom, but a plan hatched by the person who claimed to have been kidnapped because he was in need of some money, and since his father was not giving him the money which he required, he made this whole plan of being kidnapped to demand money from his parents," said Yathish, Deputy Commissioner of Police, West Division.

"He had lost some money in another business transaction and he wanted to repay his loans, so therefore he wanted to get money from his father. That is why he hatched this plan," he added.