NEW DELHI, Jan 1 — Three young girls from Dharashiv district, Maharashtra in India staged their own kidnapping in an ambitious bid to meet global K-pop icons BTS, police confirmed on Monday.
The incident, which unfolded on December 28, highlights the extraordinary lengths some fans will go to meet their idols.
According to Superintendent of Police Sanjay Jadhav, the girls, aged 11 and 13, were captivated by the boyband and planned an elaborate journey to South Korea.
“The girls intended to go to Pune first, earn money, and then fund their travel to South Korea to meet BTS,” Jadhav was quoted as saying by Times of India.
Before leaving, one of the 13-year-olds made a dramatic phone call to her parents, claiming she and her friends had been kidnapped.
“The call was made to prevent their parents from worrying about their delayed return home,” Jadhav added.
The parents, alarmed by the call, alerted the Omerga police, who acted swiftly.
Using mobile phone tracking, authorities located the girls within 30 minutes.
They intercepted the bus near Mohol in Solapur district, approximately 115 km from Omerga.
“The girls were safely removed from the bus and brought back to Omerga,” Jadhav confirmed.
Upon questioning the next day, the girls revealed their plan to work in Pune to save money for their trip to South Korea.
Police counselled the girls on the risks of their actions, while their parents were advised to monitor and limit their children’s exposure to social media.
This incident follows another case in India earlier this month where four boys from a Visakhapatnam school hostel ran away, inspired by the movie Lucky Baskhar, to pursue dreams of wealth and luxury. They were later rescued by police at Vijayawada railway station.
