UP: Wrong spelling in ransom note help police crack staged kidnapping in Hardoi
Hardoi (UP) (PTI): Wrong spelling in a ransom note helped police crack a staged kidnapping in which a man tried to con his elder brother with a Rs 50,000 demand, officials said on Wednesday.
The incident came to light on January 5 when Sanjay Kumar, a contractor from Bandaraha village in Hardoi district, told police that he received a ransom note from an unknown number demanding Rs 50,000 for releasing his brother Sandeep (27) who was "kidnapped".
The note said if he failed to pay the amount, it would result in "deth" of his brother. Kumar also received a 13-second video clip in which his brother could be seen tied with a rope.
Superintendent of Police (SP), Neeraj Kumar Jadaun, said the wrong spelling of death in the ransom note -- spelled as "deth" -- gave clue that the person behind the act was not much educated.
Suspicion grew as Kumar did not have enmity with anyone, nor was the ransom amount that big, the SP said.
Tracking his mobile phone location, police traced Sandeep to Rupapur. During interrogation, police asked him to jot down a ransom note of his kidnapping, in which he again spelt death as "deth", the officer said.
Later, he confessed to staging his own abduction, saying he got the idea of extracting money from his brother after watching 'CID', a popular crime serial, the SP said.
Sandeep worked at cane purchase centre in Mirzapur, and recently his bike hit an elderly person in Sahabad on December 30, fracturing his leg. He was in need of money as the other party was demanding compensation from him, the officer said, adding that the accused has been arrested.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
