PALIN, AUG 19:

Palin Police have solved a missing-person case that turned out to be an alleged fake kidnapping plot, with a man reportedly staging his own abduction and demanding ransom from his family.

The case began with Missing Report (MMR) No. 63 filed at Borghat Police Station under Tezpur, Assam, after Pradeep Bhattarai was reported missing from Guwahati on August 2. On August 14, his brother, who works in Dubai, received a ransom call from an unknown number claiming that Pradeep had been kidnapped and demanding payment through UPI for his release. Another ransom call was made on August 15.

The calls were traced to Palin in Kra Daadi district and subsequently to a construction site within the township. Acting on the information, a Palin Police team led by Sub-Inspector Kaling Pait conducted a recce and raided the site on August 16, recovering Pradeep and another construction worker, Lucky Kanta Payang.

During interrogation, Pradeep reportedly disclosed that he had travelled from Guwahati by train and reached Naharlagun on August 8. He was subsequently told about employment as a construction worker in Kra Daadi and reached Palin on August 10, where he began working at a construction site.

Police said Pradeep admitted to using Payang’s mobile phone to make ransom calls to his brother in Dubai, falsely claiming that he had been kidnapped. He allegedly altered his voice during the calls and demanded money through UPI.

Both men were detained and subsequently handed over to the Assam Police team from Borghat Police Station on August 17 after completion of the required legal formalities.

The case highlights the importance of verifying ransom claims and promptly reporting suspicious communications to law enforcement agencies.