Police open fire to rescue two children from kidnappers in Belagavi district of Karnataka

One accused, two policemen injured

Police opened fire at three men to rescue two children, whom they had kidnapped, at Athani in Belagavi district of Karnataka, on October 24.

Three men broke into a house, assaulted an old woman and kidnapped two children of Vijay Desai, an Athani-based businessman. The children are aged four and three years.

Police officers formed three teams to trace the kidnappers. A car carrying the children and the accused was intercepted on the Karnataka-Maharashtra border on Kohalli- Sindhur road. The accused tried to escape by opening fire at the police. When the police returned fire, one of the accused and two police personnel were injured.

Police arrested Ravikiran Kamlakar of Chikkodi taluk, Shahrukh Sheikh, originally from Bihar but now residing in Mumbai, and Samba Raosab Kamble of Hatkanagala in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.

Superintendent of Police Bheema Shankar Guled told reporters that policemen Zameer Dange and Ramesh Hadimani, who were injured, are under treatment in Athani. Samba, one of the kidnappers, was also injured in the incident and is being treated in Athani taluk hospital.

Vijay Desai, who registered a complaint, said he had no idea about who the accused are or why they had abducted his children. “I was in Belagavi and my wife was not at home. Only my aged mother was at home. She was assaulted. We are worried and afraid now. We want the police department to help us,” he told reporters in Athani.

Dr Guled has congratulated the police team that rescued the children.

Published - October 25, 2024 11:05 am IST