Two Dharwad schoolchildren rescued after being kidnapped, hospitalised for injuries

DHARWAD: Two children, a boy and a girl studying in Class 3, were kidnapped from a school in Dharwad, but later rescued. The accused, Abdul Karim, took them on his motorcycle, but was involved in an accident near Poteli Cross close to Joida in Uttara Kannada district. The kidnapper was also hospitalised.

The locals rescued the kids and took them to the hospital. The children are safe, with the girl having a leg injury and the boy having an ear injury. On receiving information, the Satellite Town police travelled with the parents and brought the children and the kidnapper back. The children are admitted to the Dharwad district hospital while Abdul Karim was admitted to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi.

The police have registered a case against Abdul Karim, who has a history of similar crimes. He was previously involved in a POCSO case and had been to jail. Police commissioner N Shashikumar said Abdul Karim (35) had been to Dubai for eight years where he was working in the construction sector and had a history of abduction. The police chief also interacted with students of the school on Tuesday and held discussions with the school authorities.

#WATCH | Dharwad, Karnataka | Police commissioner N Shashikumar says, “Yesterday, an incident occurred at a government school in Dharwad. One boy and one girl from the third standard were taken away by a 50-year-old person. Upon CCTV verification, it was found that the vehicle… pic.twitter.com/Edkh9RSS2Q

— ANI (@ANI) January 13, 2026

“On Monday, an incident occurred at a government school in Dharwad. One boy and one girl from the third standard were taken away by a 50-year-old person. Upon CCTV verification, it was found that the vehicle had moved towards Dandeli. Coincidentally, that person was involved in an accident and sustained injuries. They were taken to Joida Hospital, where the children were rescued. Upon verification of the background of this accused, Karim, one case of a similar assault was found registered against him. Both children are safe. They have suffered some abrasional injuries. They haven’t been subjected to any kind of harassment or molestation in any form. Still, we have taken up a case of kidnapping and other relevant sections. The person will be arrested once he is discharged from the hospital”, the police commissioner said.

The police are investigating the motive behind the kidnapping and the parents are seeking justice. The school administration is also facing criticism for the incident.