A 21-year-old man was arrested by Nagpur Rural Police for allegedly kidnapping a 22-year-old nursing student he had befriended on Instagram and demanding a ransom of Rs 50,000 from her father.
The accused has been identified as Zeeshan Ayub Ansari (21), a resident of Gaya district, Bihar.
According to police, the victim, originally from Yavatmal and pursuing a nursing course in Pune, had become acquainted with the accused on Instagram about a month ago. The two reportedly developed a relationship.
On Saturday, the woman travelled from Pune to Nagpur after informing her father that she had some work in the city and would return home by evening. The accused allegedly met her in the Ganeshpeth area and lured her to Nagardhan near Ramtek, where he took possession of her mobile phone.
Police said the accused then called the victim’s father and allegedly threatened to kill his daughter unless he paid a ransom of Rs 50,000.
Alarmed by the call, the victim’s father informed Yavatmal Police, who immediately alerted Nagpur Rural Police.
Acting on the directions of Superintendent of Police Harsh Poddar, a joint team led by Additional SP Anil Mhaske, comprising the Local Crime Branch, Ramtek Police and the Cyber Cell, tracked the accused using mobile phone surveillance.
The team traced the duo to the Nagardhan area in Ramtek, rescued the woman safely and arrested the accused.
Police have registered a case and are investigating the motive behind the kidnapping and ransom demand.
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