Surat man fakes his own kidnapping, demands Rs 50 lakh from family. Video goes viral
An accountant from Surat staged his own kidnapping and sent ransom videos to his family, demanding Rs 50 lakh from them. Investigators believe he did it to recover heavy stock market options trading losses.
A Surat man who staged his own kidnapping and demanded Rs 50 lakh from his family has been arrested after police tracked him down to a hotel, uncovering what they say was an elaborate attempt to recover massive losses from stock market options trading.
According to Surat Police, 36-year-old Jignesh Talaviya, an accountant living in the Mota Varachha area of the city, disappeared on June 12, prompting his wife Meenakshiben Talaviya to file a missing person complaint at the Utran Police Station.
Soon after, the family received a chilling message on the wife's phone, claiming that Jignesh had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The message warned that if the family approached the police or attempted to freeze bank accounts, they would be responsible for his death.
A video showing Jignesh bound and appearing to be held hostage was also sent to the family, leaving them terrified.
Watch the video here:
Given the seriousness of the case, Utran police launched an extensive investigation, using technical surveillance, CCTV footage and human intelligence to trace the missing man. Police teams were dispatched to multiple locations as Jignesh's movements kept changing.
At one point, authorities tracked his location to Madhya Pradesh. Another video later surfaced, purportedly showing him tied up, with threats that his body would be returned if the ransom was not paid. However, investigators eventually determined that the footage had been recorded in Godhra.
On June 15, at around 1pm, police located Jignesh safe and sound at Shiv Hotel in Godhra, Panchmahal district.
During questioning, police said Jignesh confessed that the entire kidnapping story had been fabricated by him. He had allegedly typed the threatening messages himself and recorded the hostage videos to convince his family that he had been abducted. According to investigators, he even demonstrated before police how he had tied himself up and filmed the videos.
Speaking about the case, the Surat DCP said police had treated the matter with the utmost seriousness and pursued every possible lead.
He said the investigation eventually revealed that Jignesh had suffered losses of Rs 50-60 lakh in call and put options trading in the stock market. According to the officer, the accountant had led a simple life and worked for a private company, but had entered options trading in the hope of earning more money.
Police believe the fake kidnapping was an attempt to obtain money from his family to cover those losses.
DCP Jhala added that multiple teams from Utran Police and the Local Crime Branch had been mobilised across Madhya Pradesh and Godhra, and that officers pursued every angle before ultimately locating the missing man.
Following his arrest, police booked Jignesh under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 212, 217 and 233, for misleading police, fabricating evidence, and wasting valuable government resources.
Authorities said he has been sent to jail and further investigations are underway.
(With inputs from Sanjay Singh J Rathod)
A Surat man who staged his own kidnapping and demanded Rs 50 lakh from his family has been arrested after police tracked him down to a hotel, uncovering what they say was an elaborate attempt to recover massive losses from stock market options trading.
According to Surat Police, 36-year-old Jignesh Talaviya, an accountant living in the Mota Varachha area of the city, disappeared on June 12, prompting his wife Meenakshiben Talaviya to file a missing person complaint at the Utran Police Station.
Soon after, the family received a chilling message on the wife's phone, claiming that Jignesh had been kidnapped and demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The message warned that if the family approached the police or attempted to freeze bank accounts, they would be responsible for his death.
A video showing Jignesh bound and appearing to be held hostage was also sent to the family, leaving them terrified.
Watch the video here:
Given the seriousness of the case, Utran police launched an extensive investigation, using technical surveillance, CCTV footage and human intelligence to trace the missing man. Police teams were dispatched to multiple locations as Jignesh's movements kept changing.
At one point, authorities tracked his location to Madhya Pradesh. Another video later surfaced, purportedly showing him tied up, with threats that his body would be returned if the ransom was not paid. However, investigators eventually determined that the footage had been recorded in Godhra.
On June 15, at around 1pm, police located Jignesh safe and sound at Shiv Hotel in Godhra, Panchmahal district.
During questioning, police said Jignesh confessed that the entire kidnapping story had been fabricated by him. He had allegedly typed the threatening messages himself and recorded the hostage videos to convince his family that he had been abducted. According to investigators, he even demonstrated before police how he had tied himself up and filmed the videos.
Speaking about the case, the Surat DCP said police had treated the matter with the utmost seriousness and pursued every possible lead.
He said the investigation eventually revealed that Jignesh had suffered losses of Rs 50-60 lakh in call and put options trading in the stock market. According to the officer, the accountant had led a simple life and worked for a private company, but had entered options trading in the hope of earning more money.
Police believe the fake kidnapping was an attempt to obtain money from his family to cover those losses.
DCP Jhala added that multiple teams from Utran Police and the Local Crime Branch had been mobilised across Madhya Pradesh and Godhra, and that officers pursued every angle before ultimately locating the missing man.
Following his arrest, police booked Jignesh under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 212, 217 and 233, for misleading police, fabricating evidence, and wasting valuable government resources.
Authorities said he has been sent to jail and further investigations are underway.
(With inputs from Sanjay Singh J Rathod)
