Madhya Pradesh Man Uses Kidnapper's Smartwatch To Send SOS, Gets Rescued

A smartwatch became the lifeline for a young hotel manager held hostage over a loan dispute in Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior district. Unable to repay an exorbitant amount demanded by moneylenders, the man was abducted, brutally assaulted, and locked inside a room, but a quick-thinking move using a smartwatch turned the tables on his captors.

The victim, Saurabh Sharma, 25, is a resident of Koteshwar Colony in Gwalior and a hotel manager working in Uttarakhand's Haridwar district. He had returned home on leave a few days ago. According to police, Saurabh had borrowed Rs 2.90 lakh from local moneylenders Hemant Sharma alias Chhotu Tyagi and Sachin Tyagi. Despite having already repaid Rs 3.20 lakh, the accused allegedly added compound interest and began demanding Rs 6 lakh, threatening dire consequences.

Saurabh encountered the two accused when he was near his house. They asked him to ride with them on a motorcycle. When he refused, they allegedly forcibly abducted him, taking him to Sachin Tyagi's house. He was then confined to a room and beaten when he refused to pay the demanded amount.

After the assault, Saurabh was locked inside the room. In a rare stroke of presence of mind, he noticed Sachin Tyagi's smartwatch lying nearby. Using the device, he managed to call his girlfriend and urgently informed her about the kidnapping, sharing his location and pleading for help. His girlfriend immediately contacted Saurabh's father, who rushed to the police.

Acting swiftly on the complaint, police detained Hemant Sharma and pressured him to contact his accomplice. Under police pressure, Sachin Tyagi released Saurabh. The victim was rescued safely, and both accused were arrested shortly thereafter.

Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Gwalior Krishna Pal Singh confirmed the arrests, stating that the case pertains to illegal money lending and charging exorbitant interest. "Two youths had held a young man captive over a loan dispute. Based on the victim's complaint, both accused were arrested and have been sent to jail by the court," he said.