‘Will they worry if I go missing’: UP man fakes own kidnapping to evaluate family’s love, gets arrested | Lucknow News – Times of India

LUCKNOW: A 22-year-old man from Kushinagar landed in police custody when he faked his own kidnapping just to evaluate his family’s affection.
It all began when police’s 112 helpline received a telephone call on Dec 20. The caller identified himself as Anoop Patel and claimed that he had been kidnapped near Gomtinagar Railway Station. He provided detailed information about his kidnapping by an auto driver and associates. The police responded swiftly and deployed a team.
Gomtinagar SHO Rajesh Kumar Tripathi said: “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 Para area, far from the scene of the crime.”
When the police reached the location, they found Patel sitting comfortably, seemingly unaffected.
During interrogation, he confessed to creating a false narrative.
According to the SHO, Patel revealed that he came to Lucknow from Kushinagar to take a railway technician exam.
“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 told the police.
His actions, however, proved to be just a misguided attempt at emotional testing. By filing a false report and causing unnecessary panic, Patel violated the law, resulting in 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 behaviour, especially when dealing with the law,” said the SHO.