Woman, her friend who 'faked' kidnapping from Kota to fund trip abroad found in Indore

Indore: A 21-year-old woman and her friend who allegedly faked their own kidnapping from Kota in Rajasthan to get money for traveling abroad were traced by police here on Tuesday, an official said.

The two were missing for more than a fortnight and police in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were looking for them.

"We have traced Kavya and her friend Harshit (21) in the city," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Rajesh Dandotia told PTI.

The duo had rented a room in Devguradia area here, he said.

According to Rajasthan police, Kavya's mother enrolled her in a hostel in Kota for studies last year, but Kavya stayed in Kota for just three days. She, instead, shifted to Indore.

Last month, Kavya's parents, residents of Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, received a photograph of their daughter with her hands and feet tied with a ransom demand of Rs 30 lakh.

Her father then lodged a complaint with Kota police.

But investigation found that the kidnapping story was bogus, the police official said.

Kavya and Harshit wanted to go abroad but did not have money, so they allegedly fabricated the story of kidnapping for ransom, the official said.

While Kavya tried to make it look like she had been kept in captivity in Kota by sending her parents photographs, CCTV footage gave a clue to police that she and her friend were in Indore.

Kota police will take further action in the matter, the official said.