Delhi Police Trace UPI Ransom to Karawal Nagar Cybercafe, Rescue Kidnapped 13-Year-Old
Delhi Police rescued a kidnapped 13-year-old boy and arrested his abductor within three hours on October 30 after using a Rs 5,000 UPI ransom transfer to track the suspect to a cybercafe in Karawal Nagar, officers said.
The incident came to light after the boy's mother approached the Jyoti Nagar police station in Shahdara, reporting that her son had gone out to purchase some items but failed to return home. Shortly afterwards, she received a phone call from an unidentified person demanding a ransom of Rs 40,000 for the child's release. Police registered a case and constituted an investigation team to trace the minor and apprehend the culprit.
During the probe, the kidnapper contacted the mother again and insisted on receiving the ransom amount via UPI. He shared a payment barcode, prompting investigators to transfer Rs 5,000 from the account of a police officer to trace the transaction digitally.
Technical surveillance led the police team to a cybercafe in Karawal Nagar. The cybercafe owner revealed that a man, accompanied by a minor boy, had presented the barcode to receive Rs 5,000 in cash in exchange for a Rs 50 commission. Investigators then examined the establishment's CCTV footage, where the mother identified her missing son.
To capture the kidnapper, police initiated a second transaction of Rs 5,000 using the same barcode to lure him back to the shop. When the suspect returned to the cybercafe with the boy to collect the cash, police personnel, assisted by the cybercafe owner, laid a trap in the narrow lane, apprehended him, and safely rescued the child.
During interrogation, the suspect, identified as Akash, disclosed that he worked as a delivery helper in Sadar Bazar. He told investigators that he knew the victim through his cousin and had lured the boy onto his scooter before placing the ransom calls to the mother.
Police recovered Rs 5,000 in cash, the mobile phone used to make the extortion calls, and the scooter used in the kidnapping. Officials stated that Akash had no prior criminal record. The rescued boy was reunited with his family, and investigators are continuing to probe whether anyone else assisted the accused in planning the abduction.
