In a masterclass of modern investigative tactics, the Lucknow Police ingeniously turned the tables on a gang of kidnappers by using their own deceptive playbook against them. This clever operation resulted in the safe recovery of a 15-year-old girl who had been lured and abducted with false promises of money and fame through Instagram reel-making assignments.
The Deceptive Lure and Abduction
According to police details, the minor girl was initially approached on social media by a group of youths, all adults. They enticed her with offers of easy income, brand exposure, and potential popularity through creating short-form video content. Trusting these lucrative promises, the girl left her home but subsequently did not return. Her worried family then approached the authorities to file a missing person's complaint.
As the investigation progressed, the case took a more serious turn. The circumstances strongly pointed towards coercion, leading the police to convert the missing complaint into a formal kidnapping case. Initial investigative leads, however, proved to be elusive, pushing the team to delve deeper into the victim's digital footprint.
Police Devise a Digital Counter-Trap
Studying the girl's social media activity, investigators noted her increasing engagement with content related to reel-making. Acting on this critical insight, the police devised an ingenious counter-strategy. They created a deceptive online profile posing as representatives of a fictitious event management company. This profile mirrored the kidnappers' own tactics, offering similar reel-making roles and even more enticing, lucrative assignments purportedly located abroad.
The bait was set. As hoped, the accused took it. They re-established contact, unknowingly initiating conversations with undercover police officers. ACP, Mohanlalganj, Vikas Pandey, confirmed that based on this operation, two accused individuals—Rohit Kumar (24) and Manish Rastogi (30)—were arrested late on December 21 and subsequently sent to jail.
"The third accused, Ritik, is currently absconding. Special teams have been deployed to trace and apprehend him," ACP Pandey added.
Unraveling the Crime and a Harrowing Ordeal
Police investigations revealed that the prime accused, Rohit, also known as Sohit, had first initiated contact with the minor nearly two weeks before the abduction. He systematically built her trust with false promises of work and quick money. The parents filed the missing complaint seven days before the police's successful trap was sprung.
Sources privy to the probe explained the operation's execution: "We floated an offer on Instagram through a fabricated company profile, inviting young girls for opportunities abroad with their associates, lured with cash. The response was slow initially, but then we started getting interactions. One profile, which had liked the victim's posts, engaged with us and provided information about her. After contacting some common connections with promises of profit, the girl was finally released near the Chowk area."
In her official statement, the rescued girl narrated a harrowing ordeal. She detailed how she was lured by the three men and later subjected to rape.
This case serves as a stark warning about the dangers of online grooming and fake promises on social media, while simultaneously highlighting the innovative and adaptive methods law enforcement is employing to combat digital-age crimes.
