2 Kids abducted from Belagavi home, dramatic rescue unfolds after shootout

Mangalore Today News Network

Belagavi, October 25, 2024: The police opened fire at three armed men to rescue two children, whom they had kidnapped, near Athani town in Belagavi district, said officials.

The two children, aged three and four, had returned from school and were with their grandmother when the kidnappers entered their home with weapons and abducted both in a Maruti Swift car. The incident was caught on camera.

#WATCH | Karnataka: Kidnapping of two children, aged 3 and 4 years, in Belagavi district was caught on CCTV.

Belagavi police launched a manhunt for two kidnappers who arrived in a car, entered a home with weapons, kidnapped two children and escaped in a car. The parents of the… pic.twitter.com/D36U4plaf3

— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2024

The children’s grandmother rushed to Athani Police to file a complaint and the case was registered, said the police, adding that they intensified their efforts to track down the kidnappers.

Dramatic Rescue After Shootout

As the incident occurred at 2:18 pm, the police caught the suspects by evening after a shootout. When they intercepted their car, the armed kidnappers responded with gunfire.

The police fired in self-defence, injuring one suspect while successfully rescuing the children. The Belagavi Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed that the police were attacked when they intercepted the car of the suspects.

“There was an attack on the police when they intercepted the accused’s car. The suspects attacked the cops, and in self-defence, the police were forced to open fire, injuring one of them. The injured suspect was shifted to a hospital in Athani,” the Belagavi SP said.

The investigating officer of the case said, “Upon discovering the suspects’ whereabouts, we intercepted their car as they attempted to flee. The accused attacked the police, and our constable was injured in the incident. In self-defence, we had to open fire, resulting in one of the accused being injured and subsequently shifted to the hospital.”

A total of three suspects have been arrested, and the children have been handed over to their parents in Athani. According to reports, the father of the children borrowed money from the suspects and failed to repay the amount.

The suspects kidnapped the children to recover their money, the reports claimed. However, the police teams are investigating the matter to ascertain the reason behind the incident.