Thane | A 15-year-old boy was lured through a fake Instagram account and kidnapped for ransom by four young men before police moved swiftly and rescued him, an official said on Thursday.

According to police, the Class 10 student was befriended on Instagram by the accused, who posed as a young girl. Over time, they built an emotional connection with the boy, creating the impression of a romantic relationship and gaining his complete trust.

Using this facade, the accused invited him to meet at Nandivali in Kalyan (East) of Thane district. The boy reached the location in an app-based cab, said the official.

However, four young men kidnapped him and confined him in a room in a residential building. They contacted his relatives and demanded a ransom of Rs 20 lakh, sending a WhatsApp voice message to press their demand.

After receiving a complaint from the teenager's parents on December 28, police used CCTV footage and technical analysis to trace the vehicle that had dropped off the boy at the location and tracked down its driver.

The police gathered more inputs and raided a room at Nandivali, rescued the boy and arrested the four accused within 24 hours of the complaint, the official said.

The four have been identified as Pradeep Kumar Jaiswal (24), Vishal Pasi (19), Chandan Maurya (19) and Satyam Yadav (19).

The accused have been booked for kidnapping and extortion under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the official said, adding that a court has remanded them in police custody.