{
  "id": 1455307,
  "title": "'I've Been Kidnapped': 19-Year-Old Stages Abduction Drama In Pune To Seek Rs 5 Lakh From Family",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/17/ive-been-kidnapped-19-year-old-stages-abduction-drama-in-pune-to-seek",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-17T09:04:08.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/ive-been-kidnapped-19-year-old-stages-abduction-drama-in-pune-to-seek-rs-5-lakh-from-family"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In Pune, a 19-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh made headlines after fabricating his own kidnapping ordeal to coerce his family into paying Rs 5 lakh. The incident, dubbed the \"Pune Digital Arrest Scam,\" involved the young man sending emotional, tearful videos to his relatives, convincing them that he had been abducted. However, his elaborate scheme was foiled when Pune Police traced his mobile phone to a lodging in Khadki. The accused, identified as Om Prakash Gaurishankar, confessed to staging the entire event and admitted to sending the fake videos himself. Gaurishankar, a resident of Jalalpur village in Banda district, had arrived in Pune but was reportedly struggling financially due to unemployment. His family had reached out to authorities in Uttar Pradesh upon learning of the ransom demand, leading to a joint investigation by both state police forces. After locating Gaurishankar at the Khadki lodge, police apprehended him. The thwarted abduction attempt highlights the lengths to which some individuals will go to manipulate others for financial gain.",
  "summary": "Pune: A 19-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh allegedly staged his own kidnapping in Pune and demanded Rs 5 lakh from his family. He also sent emotional videos of himself crying to make the abduction claim appear genuine. However, the plan was exposed after Pune Police tracked his mobile phone and found him staying at a lodge in Khadki. The accused has been identified as Om Prakash Gaurishankar, 19,…",
  "key_points": [
    "19-year-old Om Prakash Gaurishankar from Uttar Pradesh fabricated kidnapping to demand Rs 5 lakh.",
    "Pune Police traced mobile phone to Khadki lodging, exposing the scam.",
    "Gaurishankar confessed to staging videos and paying Rs 5 lakh to family."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}