Gwalior (Madhya Pradesh) [India], January 24 (HBTV): An alleged abduction reported from Gwalior district has been uncovered to be a staged incident orchestrated by a criminal gang, leading to the arrest of four people, including the woman initially believed to be the victim, police said on Friday.
The incident was reported on Thursday evening in the Dal Bazaar area under the Kotwali police station limits. A CCTV video of the episode surfaced on social media, triggering panic in the area and prompting immediate police action.
Senior Superintendent of Police Dharmvir Singh said, ‘We received information that a woman was being forcibly abducted from a car in the district. Acting swiftly, the police launched an investigation, which revealed that it was not a kidnapping and that the woman was part of a criminal gang. Four people, including the woman, have been arrested.’
He said the accused targeted unmarried men by luring them with promises of marriage, collecting money, and staging fake weddings that were registered through a notary. ‘After the notary process, they would disappear with the money. In this case as well, the same modus operandi was followed,’ Singh said.
According to the SSP, a young man was approached for marriage and INR 2,00,000 was taken from him. ‘After completing the marriage registration, the gang fabricated a story and staged a fake abduction. This is a professional gang that commits crimes in a well-planned manner,’ he added.
Singh said the gang had carried out similar incidents in Rajasthan. The woman who was purportedly abducted and three accomplices present at the scene have all been arrested. The accused are residents of Morena district and the Hazira area of Gwalior.
Further investigation is underway to ascertain whether the gang has committed similar crimes in other locations, police said. (ANI)