Siliguri, 25th September: In a shocking case, a minor girl was lured into a love trap via a social media site, kidnapped, and held for a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. However, the Matigara police successfully thwarted the kidnapping attempt, arresting a mother and son from Jaipur in connection with the crime. The arrested individuals have been identified as Aman Sharma (17) and his mother, Preeti Sharma.
According to reports, on September 19, an eleventh-grade student from the Matigara police jurisdiction left home under the pretense of attending tuition but did not return. Despite extensive searches by her family, she remained missing. Consequently, on September 20, her family lodged a complaint about her disappearance at the Matigara police station.
Based on the complaint, the police initiated a search for the minor girl. During this time, her family received a phone call in which the kidnappers demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh. In their investigation, the Matigara police began reviewing CCTV footage from the area, which showed the minor leaving her tuition and walking alone towards Bagdogra Airport.
Utilizing mobile tower location data, police determined that the minor had traveled from Bagdogra Airport to Delhi and then to Jaipur. Additionally, they also discovered that the ransom call originated from Jaipur. To ensure the girl’s safe recovery, the police formed a special team and set out for Jaipur last Sunday.
On Monday, the minor was successfully rescued with the assistance of Jaipur Police, leading to the arrest of the mother and son on kidnapping charges. During interrogation, it was revealed that the minor had become friends with Aman Sharma through a social media platform, which eventually evolved into a romantic relationship. Taking advantage of this connection, Aman and his mother devised a plan to kidnap the minor and extort money from her family.
Following their arrest, the police took Aman and Preeti Sharma on transit remand and returned to Siliguri on Wednesday, where Preeti Sharma was presented in court and Aman was taken to juvenile court. The police are continuing their investigation into the incident.