'Will they worry if I go missing': UP man fakes own kidnapping to check if family loves him enough, arrested

In a bizarre incident, a 22-year-old man faked his own kidnapping just to evaluate his family's affection but eventually landed in police custody in Uttar Pradesh. The drama unfolded on December 20 when Lucknow police received an urgent call on their 112 helpline. The caller, identifying himself as Anoop Patel from Kushinagar, claimed he had been abducted near Gomtinagar Railway Station. He detailed a supposed ambush by an auto driver and accomplices, prompting a swift response from the authorities.

"Within minutes, a search operation was launched, with police combing the area for clues. Using the mobile number provided by Patel, the police tracked his location to the Para area, far from the scene of the crime," explained Gomtinagar SHO Rajesh Kumar Tripathi, according to a report by Times of India (TOI).

Upon reaching the location, the police found Patel lying comfortably, showing no signs of distress. During the interrogation, Patel confessed to concocting the story. "When I reached Gomtinagar, I thought of testing how much my family truly loves me. I wanted to see if they would care enough to worry about me if I went missing," he admitted to the police.

Patel had traveled to Lucknow to appear for a railway technician examination. Filing a false report and triggering an unnecessary emergency response led to his arrest.

"Patel's emotional gamble not only hurt his family's reputation but also led to his arrest, sending a strong message about the importance of responsible behavior, especially when dealing with the law," remarked the SHO.