A man in Sagar, in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, allegedly staged his own kidnapping during his birthday party. With help from friends, he called his father and demanded a ransom of 100,000 rupees, about 1,150 US dollars. Police found him in two and a half hours. The Indian outlet News Power Game reported the case on June 13, 2026.
The suspect, Pawan Jatav, had been to prison before. He had been jailed in a cannabis-trafficking case, according to News Power Game.
The plan was allegedly settled during the party. Jatav and his friends called his father, Rakesh Jatav. They said the son had been kidnapped. They demanded 100,000 rupees for his release.
The father did not pay. He alerted Sagar police instead of negotiating.
TWO AND A HALF HOURS
Sagar police and their cyber cell traced the calls. They followed the signal from the cell towers. The unit normally handles online fraud.
Two and a half hours after the first call, officers located the group, according to News Power Game. The suspects were arrested the same day.
“RICH OVERNIGHT”
The motive, police told News Power Game, was drug addiction and a wish to get rich quickly.
The sum demanded, 100,000 rupees, is worth about 1,150 US dollars, or 1,650 Canadian dollars. It was to be paid by the father of the man who claimed to be kidnapped.
The arrest site, on Rajghat Road, sits next to Sagar’s juvenile detention home.
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