Meerut: Class 10 Student Stages His Own Kidnapping, Sends Ransom Message to Sister; Family Left in Shock

In a startling incident driven by academic pressure, a Class 10 student in Meerut staged his own kidnapping and sent a ransom message to his sister, triggering panic within the family and setting the police machinery in motion. The police later recovered the student safely from his maternal uncle’s house within four hours, exposing the entire episode as a fabricated act born out of exam-related stress.

The incident took place in Shivpuram Colony under the TP Nagar police station area. The student’s father works in a sports goods manufacturing company. On Monday, the student informed his father that his pre-board examinations were scheduled to begin the next day and requested money to buy books. His father gave him ₹150, following which the boy left home around 5:30 pm, saying he was going to the market.

About half an hour later, the family was thrown into turmoil when the student’s sister received a WhatsApp message claiming that her brother had been kidnapped. The message demanded a ransom of ₹2 lakh and warned that further instructions would be given through another call. Shocked and terrified, the family immediately dialled UP-112 and reported the alleged abduction.

Acting swiftly, the TP Nagar police, led by Inspector Arun Mishra, along with the surveillance team, launched a search operation. The student’s mobile phone location was traced to the Falawada Road area in the Mawana police station jurisdiction. Mawana police were alerted, and after sustained efforts, the boy was traced and recovered safely from his maternal uncle’s house within four hours.

During questioning, the student confessed that he had orchestrated the entire kidnapping drama on his own. He revealed that he was under severe stress due to the upcoming pre-board examinations and feared poor performance. In a misguided attempt to escape the pressure, he sent the ransom message himself from his phone to his sister.

The police brought the student back to TP Nagar police station and later handed him over to his family after counselling. Officials said the case highlights the intense psychological pressure faced by students during examinations and stressed the need for parental support and open communication to help children cope with academic stress.