A dog-show on Mhatre bridge last month and the greed to own a two-wheeler had led Deepak (named changed) to conspire with his friends and stage his kidnapping in bid to demand ransom amount from his father. Lakshman Yadav, who runs a milk business received a call on Monday noon from an unidentified caller who claimed to have Deepak in his custody and demanded a ransom of Rs five lakh for his safe release.

The caller made subsequent calls at 12.30 pm, 12.46 pm, 1 pm and 3 pm repeating the threats and the demands and asked the father to come to Natraj Hotel at Swargate with the money at 5.30 pm. Fearing his son's safety, Yadav complained to the Lashkar police who in turn informed the Anti-Extortion Cell officials. The police traced the calls to a PCO where they found all the phone cords dismantled as a precaution to avoid being traced. After receiving a final call directing Yadav to get the money for a meeting in front of Swargate police chowky, a police constable posing as a rickshaw driver escorted the distraught father to the meeting spot where Rupesh was spotted.

After being questioned, the boy broke down and confessed to having engineered his own kidnapping. After interrogation, the police learnt that the boy, a Class VIII student of the Anglo-Urdu High School, had broached his desired to own a pup to Bhaurao Thorat, who owned a stall outside the school. Thorat had suggested the idea of a fake kidnapping and a plan was struck between the two, involving Thorat's friend and a couple of the boy's friends as well. While Thorat, Sonkar and Pardeshi have been arrested, Rupesh and his friends, who are underage offenders have been booked in the crime.