In a shocking incident, siblings Swati and Vyam Desai, aged four and three, were kidnapped from their home in Athani town in Karnataka’s Belagavi district on Wednesday afternoon.
According to reports, the children had returned from school and were with their grandmother when they were abducted by unidentified individuals in a Maruti Swift car.
The kidnapping was captured on CCTV cameras installed at the house.
#WATCH | Karnataka: Kidnapping of two children, aged 3 and 4 years, in Belagavi district was caught on CCTV.
— ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2024
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
The children’s grandmother immediately informed the police, prompting swift action. After registering a case, Belagavi police launched a manhunt. Within hours, police tracked down the kidnappers, and according to an India Today report, shots were exchanged before the children were safely rescued.
The Belagavi Superintendent of Police told India Today that the abductor attacked officers when police intercepted their car. In response, the officers fired in self-defense, injuring one of the suspects, who is now receiving treatment at a hospital in Athani. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
According to reports, the children’s father, a real estate businessman, allegedly owed the suspects ₹7 crore, which led them to carry out the abduction to recover the debt. The children have since been safely reunited with their family, and the investigation is ongoing.