Woman’s False Claim Sparks Unnecessary Panic

Mangaluru: In Keyyur village near Puttur, a woman’s fabricated story about an alleged attack by the notorious "Chaddi Gang" has caused significant concern among locals. The woman, identified as Margaret, a Kerala native residing in Keyyur, claimed she narrowly escaped an armed robbery attempt at her home on Tuesday night.

In her report, she alleged that a group of masked men wielding swords demanded cash and gold, prompting her to flee. Her account quickly went viral, with photos she provided purportedly capturing the gang in action.

However, an investigation by Puttur rural police, led by a Circle Inspector soon revealed the story to be entirely untrue. Margaret’s viral photo, which she used to substantiate her claim, turned out to be an unrelated image from a video shoot in Kottayam, Kerala, filmed two years ago. The scene depicted in the image was staged, showing actors dressed as forest dwellers, unrelated to any real crime.

Margaret reportedly shared this misleading image with her landlord, Baathish, who grew suspicious due to her history of story fabrications. In a prior incident, she falsely claimed to have been bitten by a snake, which raised doubts about her latest story. Alarmed by the panic Margaret’s claims had stirred among the locals, Baathish reportedly decided to ask her family to vacate the rented property.

During questioning, Margaret displayed erratic behaviour, initially refusing to cooperate and even preventing journalists from recording her responses. She argued with officers, threatened to escalate the matter to Kerala police, and demanded her phone be returned after it was confiscated as evidence. Police confirmed to the public that her story was entirely fabricated and reassured villagers that no "Chaddi Gang" was operating in the area.

The motive behind Margaret’s actions remains unclear, leaving authorities to speculate.