We’ve all heard of super fans going to extremes for their idols, but three young girls from Maharashtra, India, may have just taken their obsession too far.
In a bizarre attempt to meet their favourite K-pop sensations, BTS, the girls allegedly staged their own kidnapping.
The drama unfolded when the girls— aged between 11 and 13 — hatched a plan to leave their hometown of Dharashiv district and make their way to South Korea.
Their goal was to earn money and visit BTS, a Grammy-nominated South Korean group that has been capturing the hearts of millions of fans globally since June 2013.
On December 27, the Dharashiv police received a distressing call reporting that three girls were "forcibly taken away" in a school van from the Omerga taluka area.
The police sprang into action, launching a search operation that could rival a thriller film plot. But it didn’t take long for the truth to unravel as the call came from one of the girls, who was travelling with her friends on a state transport bus heading to Pune.
Thanks to some quick coordination, the police tracked the bus as it passed through the Mohol area of Solapur district. A local shopkeeper near the Mohol bus stand helped the police intercept the runaway trio.
When brought to the station, the girls revealed their audacious plan. They intended to start working in Pune, earn enough cash, and then jet off to South Korea to meet the seven members of BTS: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V and Jungkook.
The girls have since been reunited with their families, and one can only hope this serves as a wake-up call for them and for others tempted to take drastic measures to meet their idols.
In 2023, during a live broadcast, Jungkook openly addressed the actions of sasaeng fans —a term used to describe overly intrusive individuals who stalk or invade the private lives of celebrities.
Expressing his displeasure, Jungkook called out fans for waiting outside his home or gym to catch a glimpse of him.
In a stern post, he also pleaded with fans to stop sending food to his house.
"Please don’t send delivery food to my house, I’m not going to eat it anyway. I’m thankful for the thought, but I can eat well on my own. So take care of your own meals, I beg you.
“If you send it one more time, I will check the receipt order and take action. So stop it," he warned.