Bhubaneswar: A shocking twist has emerged in the alleged kidnapping of an engineering student from a private hostel under Infovalley police limits in Bhubaneswar, with police revealing that the student had staged his own abduction to extract money from his family.

At a press briefing, Police Commissioner Suresh Dev Datta Singh said the case initially appeared to be a kidnapping for ransom of ₹13 lakh. However, an investigation later exposed it as a fabricated plot orchestrated by the student himself.

The student, who was residing in a private hostel in the Madanpur area, was reportedly found by police during a raid on a house near the Madanpur panchayat office. Subsequent questioning of him and his associates revealed that no kidnapping had taken place.

Police said the student had been leading a lavish lifestyle and had borrowed large sums of money from friends and hostel mates under various pretexts. He allegedly cited reasons such as medical emergencies and examination fees to collect money ranging from ₹1 lakh to ₹7 lakh from different individuals.

In total, he borrowed around ₹13 lakh from seven friends. While he repaid a small portion of about ₹2-3 lakh, he still owed nearly ₹10 lakh, leading to mounting pressure from those who had lent him money.

Unable to repay the debt, the student devised a plan to stage his own kidnapping. He reportedly called his father, claiming he had been abducted and was being held hostage for a ransom of ₹13 lakh.

Following the complaint lodged by the father at Infovalley police station, a special police team was formed to trace him. The investigation eventually led police to the house, where the student was found safe.

Further interrogation exposed the entire plan, confirming that the kidnapping story was fabricated as part of a plan to recover money from his family to clear his debts.