An Indian-origin woman has been arrested in South Africa for allegedly faking her kidnapping. (Representative)
Johannesburg:
A 47-year-old Indian-origin woman, who allegedly staged her own kidnapping and demanded a ransom of R2 million from her husband, perjured herself after investigating officers traced her from a hotel room in the city of Pietermaritzburg, South Africa was accused of.
Natasha Kara, a spokeswoman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said on Wednesday that Firoz B B Joseph had been charged with “misleading the ends of justice” and had been released on bail until her next court appearance on June 7.
He was arrested on Tuesday after a police investigation proved that his version of events was not entirely correct.
Police spokesman Colonel Robert Ntshunda said Joseph’s husband received a call on Monday that she had been kidnapped and asked to deposit an undisclosed amount for her release.
According to the chargesheet, Rs 2 lakh was taken as ransom.
Netshiunda said her husband received a call from another person who threatened to hurt the woman if he did not pay her the money.
As the investigation progressed, police found footage of Joseph after receiving a ransom call at a casino in Pietermaritzburg, about 80 kilometers from Phoenix.
Further investigation led police to trace Joseph to a bed and breakfast facility in the city where he had checked in under a different name.
Netshiunda said she also recovered all her jewelry, which she claimed was taken by the kidnappers.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)