13-year-old Muktsar boy fakes Instagram extortion plot to avoid visiting maternal family

In a bizarre turn of events, a 13-year-old boy from a village in the Lambi Assembly segment here resorted to an unusual tactic to avoid a visit to his maternal family. The boy created a fake Instagram account and sent an extortion message to his father, demanding Rs 90 lakh, a Fortuner vehicle, or Bitcoin.

Alarmed by the threatening message, the father feared the possibility of kidnapping and promptly contacted the police.

A cybercrime investigation was launched, and investigators were stunned when the digital trail led back to the family’s own residence.

“Upon questioning, the teenager confessed to fabricating the message in an attempt to scare his father into canceling a planned visit to his maternal grandparents' house, a trip he was strongly opposed to,” said police sources.

Muktsar SSP Akhil Chaudhary appealed to parents to closely supervise their children's digital activities, stressing the importance of resolving familial issues within the family unit.

The SSP further stated that a case under sections 308, 351(2), 351(3) of the BNS and section 66 of the IT Act was registered at Kabarwala police station on March 19. However, the identity of the extortionist has not been revealed.

Muktsar DSP (Investigation) Ramanpreet Singh Gill, who is leading the investigation, mentioned that the probe is ongoing, and the extortion message was sent by a family member of the complainant. No arrests have been made so far.

In a separate incident, Paramjit Singh from Chak Ramnagar Basti received WhatsApp extortion calls demanding Rs 25 lakh from his two nephews and their accomplice. Police have since arrested all three individuals involved in the crime.

“The complainant’s nephew Karanveer Singh in Ferozepur, his other nephews Lovepreet Singh and their associate Amandeep Singh from Muktsar have been arrested. Three mobile phones and a tablet used in the crime were also seized,” said the SSP.