'Deth' note: How spelling mistake helped police crack kidnapping case
What's the story
A staged kidnapping in Uttar Pradesh's Hardoi district was busted after a ransom note had a spelling error. The incident came to light on January 5 when a local contractor, Sanjay Kumar of Bandaraha village, complained of receiving a ransom demand of ₹5,000 for his brother Sandeep's release. The poorly written note threatened that failure to pay would result in the "deth" of his brother.
Investigation begins
Police suspicions aroused by ransom note details
Superintendent of Police Neeraj Kumar Jadaun observed that the misspelling of "death" as "deth" indicated the person behind the note wasn't well-educated. "Suspicion grew as Mr. Kumar did not have enmity with anyone, nor was the ransom amount that big," Jadaun said. The small ransom amount and lack of personal enmity further raised police suspicions about the authenticity of this kidnapping case.
Case resolution
Suspect's location traced, confession obtained
The police then traced Sandeep's mobile location to Rupapur, where they located him. During interrogation, Sandeep was asked to write another ransom note, and he again spelled death as "deth." This spelling error confirmed the police's suspicions about his involvement in the staged kidnapping. He confessed to orchestrating his own abduction to extract money from his brother, revealing he was inspired by the crime serial 'CID' for this plot.
Motive uncovered
Motive behind staged kidnapping revealed
Sandeep, who was employed at a cane purchase center in Mirzapur, needed money after he injured an elderly man in an accident on December 30. The other party demanded compensation for the injury, which led Sandeep to hatch a plan to stage his own kidnapping and demand ransom from his brother. After his confession and motive were revealed, Sandeep was arrested by the police.