Shahid Ali who was reported kidnapped on December 27,
returned to his house in Gopalganj on December 30, 2015. On further police
investigation, Ali confessed that he had staged his own kidnapping.

The Bahadurpur police officials told PaGaLGuY, “Ali was
reported missing on December 27, post which his father received a ransom text
demanding Rs 5 Lakh from Ali’s mobile number. Thereafter, we changed Ali’s
report from missing person to kidnapped person.”

Ali is a first year Mechanical engineering student at Netaji
Subhas Institute of Technology, (NSIT) Bihta, Patna. He left home in his
college uniform on December 26. After Ali failed to return home the next day,
his mother filed a missing person report at the Bahadurpur police station, which
is about 40 kms from Gopalganj.

The Bahadurpur police officials added that, “Ali returned to
his home in Gopalganj on his own on December 30. Even though Ali was feeling
dizzy, he managed to reach home. After he regained conscious, we inquired him about
the kidnapping.”

The police further revealed, “As soon as Ali gained consciousness
we asked him to identify the two suspects we caught in Gopalganj today
(December 31). After feeling the heat of the police investigation, he confessed
the truth. To stage the kidnapping, Ali consumed a bottle of Corex (cough syrup),
in an attempt to fall unconscious. Ali staged this kidnapping to spend some
time with his girlfriend.  He was gone for
four days and could not think of a better reason than kidnapping. Also, to make
the kidnapping look real he sent a ransom text to his own father.”

The police grew suspicious when Ali’s mother informed them that
Ali left home in his college uniform to attend lectures. “We confirmed with the
NSIT authorities and found out, the institute is closed for winter vacation and
will re-open on January 4, 2016”, said the police officials.

An official from the NSIT authorities told PaGaLGuY, “Ali
attended only four lectures in the first semester which started in July. He
even missed his internal and semester examinations.” He continued, “We don’t
know why he would come to college during winter break. We informed his parents
several times about his absence during lectures. But since they never responded,
we also gave up.”

Every time PaGaLGuY spoke to the Bahadurpur police officials
the story had a different angle. In the afternoon, on December 30, the police
reported the kidnapping case is still under investigation. However, the next
morning, on December 31, Ali returned home on his own. Shahid Ali had staged
his own kidnapping, this was revealed when PaGaLGuY spoke to the police
officials on the same evening.