Three arrested for kidnap of 2 children in Chikkodi, one shot at; 2 policemen injured

CHIKKODI: In barely 10 hours after two children were kidnapped from their house at Swamy Plot here on Thursday afternoon, the Athani police have arrested three kidnappers after shooting one of them in the leg. Two police personnel also sustained injuries in the incident.

Two masked men seen entering the house in Chikkodi.

Two masked men entered the house of Vijay Desai on Thursday afternoon on the pretext of asking for drinking water, kidnapped two children in broad daylight and sped away in a car. The victims Swasthi Desai (4) and Vyom Desai (3) had just returned home from kindergarten. Only their grandmother was at home at that time.

The two men can be seen exiting the house carrying the children.

In CCTV footage, the two men can be seen carrying away the children on their shoulder and then making their escape in a car. The videos had been shared widely on social media and had sparked concern in the taluk.

Police secured the children from the kidnappers on Thursday night.

Vijay Desai has financial dealing with many people including Sambaraosab Kamble of Maharashtra, Ravikiran Kamalakar of Chikkodi and Sharukh Sheikh of Bihar. Vijay had allegedly taken lakhs of rupees from them with the promise of doubling their money, but had not returned it.

The children with the parents at a hospital on Thursday night.

The three men then planned the kidnap of Vijay’s children and after it was executed, they called him and asked him to return the money and take back his children. Based on this information, the police located the kidnappers to Kohalli in Athani taluk and arrested three people.

At the time of the arrest, the kidnappers attacked PSI Girimallappa and another constable, leaving them injured. In self defence, the police team shot at Sambaraosab Kamble in the leg. The injured policemen and the kidnapper are being treated in a hospital.