Two young children, aged 4 and 3, were abducted by two unidentified individuals on Thursday while they were playing at their home on Hulagbal Road in Athani. The suspects arrived in a car, snatched the children, and fled the scene.
The incident was captured on a nearby CCTV camera. The children’s father, Vijay Desai, reported that the kidnapping took place while he and his wife were at work, with their grandmother watching over them at home.
The parents of the kids have filed a missing complaint with the Athani Police and a case has been registered under IPC section 363.
Cops suspect that the kids were kidnapped over a financial dispute between the father and some others.
In the early hours of Friday, a dramatic turn of events unfolded when police intercepted the suspects’ vehicle near Athani town in Belagavi district. According to Superintendent of Police Dr. Bhimashankar Guled, the accused attacked the officers upon interception, prompting police to fire in self-defense. One of the suspects was injured and has been admitted to a hospital in Athani for treatment. The investigation is ongoing as police work to locate and safely recover the abducted children, reports the Deccan Herald.
An investigation is underway, while the children have been safely reunited with their family