Belagavi children abducted from home, rescued after shootout

Two children were kidnapped from their Belagavi home on Wednesday, with the incident caught on CCTV. Acting on the grandmother's alert, the police intercepted the suspects, leading to a shootout and the safe rescue of the children.

In Short

• Two children in Belagavi, Karnataka, abducted from their home
• Police, alerted by grandmother, track and intercept kidnappers
• Three arrested after shootout with police, children rescued safely

Two young children were kidnapped from their home in Athani town in Karnataka’s Belagavi district, on Wednesday afternoon.

The children, siblings Swati and Vyam Desai aged four and three respectively, had returned from school and were with their grandmother, when they were abducted by unknown individuals in a Maruti Swift car.

The abduction was captured on CCTV camera.

The police were alerted by the children’s grandmother, leading to an immediate search operation. A case was registered at the Athani police station, and efforts to track the kidnappers intensified.

By evening, the police tracked down the kidnappers, resulting in a shootout, and successfully rescued the children.

Belagavi Superintendent of Police (SP) confirmed that the police were attacked when they intercepted the suspects' car. “The suspects attacked the officers, and in self-defence, the police were forced to open fire, injuring one of the accused,” said the SP. The injured suspect is currently being treated in a hospital in Athani. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the abduction.

The investigating officer revealed that the children's father, a real estate businessman, allegedly owed ₹7 crore to the suspects, who resorted to kidnapping in an attempt to recover the amount.

An investigation is underway, while the children have been safely reunited with their family.