Jhansi: A 19-year-old nursing student in Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi was caught faking her own kidnapping to extort Rs 6 lakh from her family after losing money in online betting, police said on Thursday. 

The student, identified as Nandini, and four accomplices were arrested following an investigation.

When police traced the student’s location first in Delhi and then in Noida, where they finally caught up with her, Nandini admitted to making up the whole thing.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sudha Singh, Nandini admitted during interrogation that she had lost Rs 2.5 lakh in online betting. To repay the borrowed money, she devised the plan to stage her abduction. 

Nandini made a WhatsApp call to her father, Bablu Raikwar, demanding the ransom.

The police began investigating after Nandini’s father Bablu Raikwar of Todi Fatehpur lodged an FIR on Monday, alleging that she had been kidnapped and a ransom demand had been made. 

Tracking her movements, the police traced her to Delhi and eventually to Noida, where she was apprehended on Wednesday. During questioning, the truth behind the staged abduction came to light, SSP Singh said.

The official said that the student and her friends Hridayesh, Priyanshu, Shivam and Nandkishore have been arrested for being involved in the conspiracy and further investigations are underway.