Man fakes own kidnapping after he fails to repay loan

A diamond jeweller has allegedly faked his abduction to escape harassment from multiple moneylenders, said police.

According to the complaint filed by the wife of Tithal Jitendra Shah (34), a resident of Mudra Society in Bibwewadi, he was allegedly abducted, and she received a ransom call of ₹2 crore.

On Friday, four days after the alleged abduction and kidnapping case, the victim Shah appeared in front of the Bibwewadi police. During the investigation, he accepted that he faked his abduction to escape harassment from moneylenders.

According to the police, Shah admitted that he was under pressure to repay the loans he borrowed from various 10-12 individuals. Due to mounting dues, interest, and loss in the share market, he was unable to pay and was facing constant pressure. Hence, he had hatched his fake kidnapping call.

Rajkumar Shinde, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 5), said, “The victim himself made a false kidnapping call to his wife. He then switched off his phone near Navale Bridge and fled to Ravet. From there, he travelled via a private vehicle to Kalamboli, Mumbai, and later stayed at different lodges across the city—including Bombay Central for a day, Khar West for two days, and Vile Parle for another day.’’

On Friday morning, Shah switched on his mobile phone and called his sister, who later informed the police. Later in the evening, he surrendered.

Shinde said, “Shah took the drastic step due to the harassment he faced from lenders. The police have recorded his statement and are conducting further investigations into the matter.”

According to the complaint, Shah and his wife had gone to pick up their daughter from a pre-school in Salisbury Park on Monday. After dropping his wife and daughter home, Shah proceeded to the Camp area for work.

At around 5.59 pm, the complainant received a call from an unknown number. The caller also threatened to kill Shah if the ransom was not paid.