Sikkim girl fakes own ‘kidnapping’, demands Rs 3 lakh from family

Panic triggered by reports of a minor girl’s alleged kidnapping in Sikkim was found to be based on a staged incident, with the girl herself planning the act and attempting to extort money from her family, police said.

An official statement from Sadar Police Station said messages claiming that the girl had been abducted and a ransom of Rs 3 lakh demanded had circulated widely on social media, causing public concern.

Police launched an immediate search operation after receiving the information. A team was dispatched to Siliguri to verify leads and trace the girl.

She was located on Wednesday evening at the SNT area in Siliguri, where she was found loitering.

Preliminary enquiry revealed that the girl had deliberately staged her disappearance. Investigators found that she had sent WhatsApp messages to her family, posing as a kidnapper and demanding Rs 3 lakh.

To make the claim appear credible, she also sent voice notes in which she was heard crying and stating that she had been kidnapped.

Police said the girl has been secured and is being brought back to Gangtok by the Sadar Police team. Further legal procedures and a detailed enquiry will follow after her return.