Three minor girls, aged 11 and 13, from Maharashtra, allegedly conspired to fake their kidnapping incident to fulfil their dream of meeting the globally famous K-pop group BTS in South Korea. The girls belong to Dharashiv district in the state. They planned to go to Pune, earn money, and then travel to South Korea to meet their beloved BTS members. The girls’ fixation with the gang made them feel that they would somehow manage to collect the required amount for traveling by faking their kidnapping.
On December 27, a call was received by the Dharashiv police that reported the kidnapping of three girls from a school van in Omerga taluka, a local region in the district. It was alleged that the girls had been kidnapped under duress and the police started acting on this call immediately. Within minutes, the number was traced, which belonged to a woman traveling in a state transport bus from Omerga to Pune. Police tracked the bus, which was on the way and passing through Mohol town in Solapur district. Thereafter, Omerga police coordinated with Mohol police and roped in the local shopkeeper at Mohol bus stand to trace the victim.
With the shopkeeper’s assistance, the three girls were located and taken off the bus, after which they were brought to the local police station. The Omerga police, along with the girls’ worried parents, arrived at the station the following day. When questioned, the girls confessed that they had staged the kidnapping to travel to Pune, where they hoped to earn money that would fund their trip to South Korea. Their ultimate objective was to meet the members of BTS, the world-famous K-pop group.
BTS comprises RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook, who have gained a huge international fan base. Jin and J-Hope had already been released from military service earlier in the year, while RM, Suga, Jimin, V, and Jungkook are scheduled to be released next year. While their commitment to the military does not seem to faze their immense popularity, their fans continue with a great frenzy to catch glimpses of the girls. An incident in Japan has made several people raise serious questions on fan culture in a globalized world.
