Fearing 2nd NEET Attempt, Kota Student Fakes Kidnap, Demands Ransom From Father To Study In Russia

Upon interrogation, the student confessed that upon learning her father had recently sold a plot of land, she thought that her alleged kidnappers could extort the ransom directly from him.

The student sent a photo to her father showing her hands and legs tied. (Representative image)

Source : Getty Images

New Delhi: A student believed to be undergoing NEET coaching in Kota, Rajasthan, had been deceiving her family, claiming to be preparing for the medical entrance exam while residing in Indore. Her parents trusted her and continued to finance her expenses, till the truth came to light when the student fabricated a tale of her own abduction. Subsequently, the Kota Police intervened and uncovered the entire plan.

According to Kota Police, they caught the student and her accomplice, who had orchestrated their own purported kidnapping.

Amrita Duhan, the City Superintendent of Police, said that a report regarding the alleged abduction of the student, Kavya Dhakad, had been lodged at the Vigyan Nagar police station. A joint effort by the Kota and Indore Police traced Kavya from Indore. The SP further said that Kavya had been in Kota from August 3-5 last year.

Following her stint in Kota, Kavya relocated to Indore to continue her studies, while misleading her parents into believing she was still in Kota. Messages purportedly from a private coaching institute in Kota were sent to her parents to maintain the facade. However, Kavya, feeling inadequately prepared in Indore, feared not being selected for NEET, which would inevitably lead to parental reproach.

During this time, Kavya stumbled upon an information via a YouTube channel suggesting that pursuing MBBS in Russia would cost around Rs 30 lakh. This prompted her and her friends, Brajesh Pratap and Harshit Yadav, to hatch a plan to extort money from her father. Subsequently, Kavya concocted a false kidnapping narrative and fabricated a video from her friend Brajendra Pratap's room in Indore.

Upon interrogation, Kavya confessed that upon learning her father had recently sold a plot of land, she thought that her alleged kidnappers could extort the ransom directly from him, police said.

According to the plan, Kavya, along with her friends Harshit Yadav and Brajendra Pratap, left for Jaipur on the night of March 16. As planned, they lodged at a hotel on March 17 and got a new SIM card the following day, through which Kavya informed her father of her purported abduction by her friends, demanding Rs 30 lakh. She also sent a photo showing her hands and legs tied.

However, when Kavya's father urged her to report the incident to the police, she got apprehensive and fled Jaipur with her friends, returning to Indore.

Later, after Kota Police intervened, Kavya and Harshit Yadav went to Amritsar via Chandigarh on March 19, where they sought refuge in the Golden Temple Gurudwara for six days, police said.

Following their stay in Amritsar, they left on March 28, returning to Indore, from where she was caught, police said, adding investigation into the matter is underway.

(With inputs from Dinesh Kashyap)