School Bus Driver Arrested for Kidnapping Plot and Extortion

A school bus driver in Maharashtra's Thane district was arrested for threatening to kidnap a 15-year-old student and demanding Rs 4 lakh from the boy's parents. The driver, who also operated a mobile shop, planned the extortion to make quick money, officials reported.

Police in Maharashtra's Thane district have arrested a school bus driver after he allegedly threatened to kidnap a 15-year-old student and demanded Rs 4 lakh from the boy's parents. The driver also owned a mobile phone and SIM card shop, where he orchestrated the extortion plan to make quick cash, according to officials.

The 15-year-old's mother received a text from an unknown number, threatening to abduct her son if the payment was not made. She promptly reported the threat to local authorities, who quickly traced the message to a number linked with a mobile phone shop owned by the bus driver.

Police Commissioner Rahul Chavan stated that the driver confessed after being interrogated. The man has been arrested and charged with criminal intimidation and extortion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Information Technology Act. Investigations are ongoing as the police believe he targeted multiple families.

(With inputs from agencies.)