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Crime
Engineer Fakes Kidnap Using AI Visuals, Found in Rishikesh
✍️ TOI City
🗓 31 Oct 2026, 12:42 PM
👁 1
A 22-year-old engineer has been found in Rishikesh after staging his own kidnapping using AI-generated visuals to extort money from his family to cover financial debts.
Jaipur police have apprehended a 22-year-old engineer, Deepak Kumar Mali, who allegedly faked his own kidnapping to demand ransom. The engineer is accused of using artificial intelligence to create fabricated visuals, including videos and images, depicting his supposed captivity. These doctored materials were then sent to his relatives in an attempt to deceive them.
Following a missing person report filed by the family, the police initiated an investigation. Their efforts involved analyzing CCTV footage, which ultimately led them to track down the engineer in Rishikesh. The investigation has revealed that the entire kidnapping scenario was a fabrication, orchestrated by the engineer himself.
Authorities have stated that the motive behind this elaborate deception was to address the engineer's financial debts. The case highlights a novel method of crime involving the misuse of AI technology for fraudulent purposes.
Following a missing person report filed by the family, the police initiated an investigation. Their efforts involved analyzing CCTV footage, which ultimately led them to track down the engineer in Rishikesh. The investigation has revealed that the entire kidnapping scenario was a fabrication, orchestrated by the engineer himself.
Authorities have stated that the motive behind this elaborate deception was to address the engineer's financial debts. The case highlights a novel method of crime involving the misuse of AI technology for fraudulent purposes.