Online Gaming Addiction Leads to Fake Kidnapping Plot in Meerut

A desperate father in Meerut, burdened by online gaming debts, orchestrated a fake kidnapping of his son in a bid to extort ransom money, highlighting the dangers of gaming addiction.

Photograph: Kind courtesy SCREEN POST/Unsplash.com

Key Points

A man in Meerut staged his son's kidnapping to demand a ransom of Rs 6 lakh.
The accused was heavily in debt due to online gaming addiction and loans.
He used credit cards and online loan applications to fund his gaming habit.
Police investigation revealed the kidnapping was fabricated to extort money.
The father has been arrested and his son has been safely recovered by the police.

A man here allegedly staged a kidnapping of his minor son and demanded a ransom of Rs 6 lakh in an attempt to clear debts incurred through online gaming, police said on Wednesday.

The accused has been arrested and the boy recovered safely, they said.

According to police, Deepak, a resident of Ashok Nagar area under Kankerkhera police station limits, lodged a complaint on March 10 claiming that his 15-year-old son Harsh Kumar alias Honey had gone missing on March 9 after leaving home for coaching classes.

He alleged that unknown persons had called and demanded Rs 6 lakh as ransom for the boy's release.

Teams from Kankerkhera police station launched a probe into the complaint, examining CCTV footage from the area and questioning family members. Officials said Deepak's statements appeared suspicious during questioning.

Under sustained interrogation, Deepak allegedly confessed to hatching the kidnapping plot himself.

Details of the Gaming Debt

Police said he had spent money borrowed through credit cards of various banks on an online gaming application called "Chill Chat". He later took loans worth around Rs 2 lakh through online loan applications, and squandered the amount in gaming as well, leaving him in a debt of around Rs 7-8 lakh.

Troubled by mounting debt and repayment pressure, he allegedly persuaded his son to go into hiding and fabricated the story of a kidnapping to demand ransom, police said.

The accused has been arrested and the minor recovered safely, while further legal action is underway, they added.

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