Surat : A Surat man has been arrested for allegedly faking his own kidnapping and demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh from his family. Police traced him to a hotel and discovered that the abduction had been staged as part of an elaborate plan to recover heavy losses incurred through stock market options trading.
Police said that Jignesh Talaviya, a 36-year-old accountant from Surat’s Mota Varachha area, went missing on June 12. Following his disappearance, his wife, Meenakshiben Talaviya, lodged a missing person complaint at the Utran Police Station.
Soon after Jignesh was reported missing, his family received a ransom message on his wife’s phone alleging that he had been abducted. The sender sought Rs 50 lakh for his release and cautioned the family that any attempt to involve the police or block bank accounts could put his life at risk.
A video purportedly showing Jignesh bound and held hostage was also sent to his family, heightening concerns for his safety. In response, Utran police began an intensive search operation, using CCTV footage, technical tracking and human intelligence inputs. With Jignesh constantly moving between locations, multiple police teams were dispatched to follow leads and locate him.
Questioned by police after being traced, Jignesh reportedly confessed that the kidnapping was a hoax. According to investigators, he personally drafted the ransom messages and shot the videos showing himself as a hostage to mislead his family. Police said he later recreated the entire process, explaining how he bound himself and recorded the footage. The Surat DCP said officers had handled the case with utmost urgency and carried out an extensive investigation before uncovering the truth.
According to police, the investigation found that Jignesh had lost nearly Rs 50-60 lakh in stock market options trading. Despite leading a simple life and working as an accountant at a private company, he had turned to call and put options in an attempt to boost his income. Police suspect the fake kidnapping was part of a plan to raise funds from his family to offset those financial losses.
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