Chitradurga "Masked Men Kidnap" an unexpected twist in the story

Bengaluru: On December 31, Chitradurga SP Ranjith Kumar Bendaru received a call. The caller said that an attempt had been made to kidnap two 11-year-old students from Abbinahalli village in Chitradurga and that they had narrowly escaped. With this, the SP launched an extensive investigation. Then, there was an unexpected twist in the story. It was a fake story concocted by two children to avoid punishment for not doing their homework.

The incident began when the children returned home without their school bags at 10 am on December 31. The children usually board the bus from Dharmuttra at 6.30 am and reach school at around 9.30 pm after completing their tuition classes. They return in the evening. When asked about returning home early that day, they told their family that they had been 'kidnapped' by some people.

They told their families that a group of three masked men who arrived in a white Maruti Omni van on their way to school forcibly put them in the van and sprayed a sedative on their faces. The children said that when they regained consciousness after a while, they heard the group say that these were not the children they meant and that they were later dropped off on the side of the road.

After the parents called the police and reported the matter, a special investigation team was formed under the leadership of the SP and an investigation was started. The police did not find any suspicion in the children's behavior or speech.

The CCTV cameras at the places mentioned by the children were checked, but nothing significant was found. Moreover, when the residents of the area were asked, it became clear that no such omni van had come. The police became suspicious when they asked the school teacher about the matter. With this, the police called the students separately and questioned them. The children told about the homework after they were assured that they would not be punished if they told the truth.

The children were given homework in class. However, neither of them had completed it. The children knew that if they did not do their homework, they would be punished and their parents would be called to school. This is why they decided to make up a kidnapping story. Police said that the children got the idea from social media.