Solan: Trader enacts own kidnapping, booked

Solan, June 24

In a bizarre case, a local trader was booked by the police for hatching a conspiracy of having been kidnapped so as to extract money from his family.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Solan Gaurav Singh said Abhay Goyal, a resident of the Kather bypass, here lodged a complaint at the Sadar police station last evening around 6.30 pm that a message was received from the mobile number of his brother Aman on the Whatsapp number of one of his friends.

The message stated that Aman had been kidnapped and the miscreant was demanding Rs 1 lakh to release him, while warning him not to inform the police. He also sent a picture showing Aman in an unconscious state.

Aman ran a bakery shop and had left for the Shoolini fair on June 23 evening, but did not return home, said his family members. The police registered an FIR under Section 365, IPC, and initiated a probe. Later, the close circuit cameras installed in the city were scanned and the location of Aman’s mobile was also taken.

A police team was constituted and dispatched on the location available from the cell phone. It found Aman alone on a road near a gurdwara near Shahpur in Haryana.

On interrogation, Aman said he was upset due to his business and also had strained relations with his family due to which he had left his home. Since he was in dire need of money, he hatched the kidnap conspiracy himself to extract money from his family. He reached Kalka by bus and took a selfie in the washroom of the Kalka bus stand and sent the photo to his brother Abhay Goyal from his number. After this, he reached Shahpur by bus. Action as per the law is being taken against Aman for hatching a conspiracy in the matter and a probe is on in the matter.