Overview
- Kashimira Police detained the 37-year-old owner-driver on October 26 after a parent’s complaint on October 24, with officials reporting the child was safe and the suspect confessed.
- Investigators traced the threats to a number linked to a local mobile shop, saying the driver misused an active SIM taken from a customer to message the parent on WhatsApp.
- Officers say the suspect leveraged a photo the parent had previously shared for bus records to bolster the ransom demand of ₹4 lakh.
- The accused has been booked under criminal intimidation and extortion sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and remains in custody.
- Police are examining reports that several parents received similar messages and are investigating whether more families were targeted, while media accounts list conflicting names for the accused.