LAKHIMPUR KHERI: A 21-year-old man was slapped with a case and had to spend a night at a police station after he landed with birthday gifts at the home of a minor girl whom he had befriended online, police said Tuesday.
Salman travelled 2,000 km -- taking a flight from Bengaluru to Lucknow and then a bus to Lakhimpur Kheri -- to be able to reach her home in time for her birthday, but her family refused to recognise him.
He had brought with him chocolates, a teddy bear and other such items.
The girl's family reprimanded him and called the police and he had to spend the Sunday night at the police station.
"The girl's family members refused to file a first information report (FIR) against the youth. He was produced before the sub-divisional magistrate's court Monday," Kotwali Police Station in-charge Sunil Kumar Singh told PTI Tuesday.
"The youth was released on Monday on personal bond," Singh added.
Salman hails from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district and works as a mechanic in Bengaluru.
He told the police he developed a friendship with the girl through a virtual platform and travelled the distance to offer her birthday gifts.
"However, the girl's family, got suspicious about him and called the police," the SHO said.
Singh said a return ticket to Bengaluru for January 11 and some cash were found on him.
Singh said the girl's parents asked the police to warn the man against any recurrence of such incident.
The youth was booked under section 151 of CrPC (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences) and later released on bond, Singh said.