DHARWAD: What began as an ordinary school day turned into a tense and frightening episode for parents and teachers in Dharwad after two Class 3 students went missing from a government primary school campus on Monday afternoon. The incident, which triggered widespread panic, ended on a positive note after the kidnapped children were traced safely in a neighbouring district and the accused was arrested following a road accident.
The incident took place at a government primary school in Kamalapur locality of Dharwad, often referred to as “VidyakashI Dharwad” due to the concentration of educational institutions. The two missing children were identified as Laxmi Karyappanavar and Anwar Doddamani, both studying in Class 3. As on any regular day, the children attended classes and also had their midday meal at the school.
According to police sources, during the lunch break, an unidentified man entered the school premises and approached Anwar. As the man appeared familiar to the boy, he struck up a conversation and lured him by offering to take him to the Ulavi Basappa temple fair. When Anwar agreed, the man also asked Laxmi, who was standing nearby, whether she wanted to join them. The girl too consented, unaware of the danger.
Soon after, the man made both children sit on his motorcycle and fled from the spot within minutes. The disappearance went unnoticed initially. However, when the children failed to return to class after lunch, teachers grew suspicious and contacted their parents to check whether the children had gone home. The shocking revelation that the children were neither in school nor at home triggered immediate alarm.
School authorities promptly reviewed CCTV footage installed on the campus. The visuals clearly showed a man taking the two children away on a motorcycle. The footage was immediately shared with the Suburban Police Station in Dharwad, following which an extensive alert was issued across districts.
As news of the kidnapping spread, anxious parents rushed to the school premises. Fear and uncertainty gripped the area, with many parents demanding swift action. The families of the kidnapped children were inconsolable, struggling with unanswered questions about their children’s safety.
A major breakthrough came when police received information from the Uttara Kannada district. A motorcycle carrying a man and two children had met with an accident near Dandeli and fallen into a roadside ditch. Local police rushed to the spot and rescued the injured. During questioning, the man revealed his identity as Abdul Karim Mestri, a resident of Dharwad city.
Later identified as Mohammed Karim Mestri (49), originally from Hubballi, the accused had suffered serious head injuries in the accident and was shifted to the Joida Government Hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment under police custody. The two children, aged eight and nine, sustained minor injuries and escaped a major tragedy.
On January 12, police officially confirmed that the kidnapped children had been rescued safely due to the timely intervention of Joida police. The successful rescue brought immense relief not only to the parents but also to residents across the state who had been closely following the case.
As soon as they received the news, the children’s parents rushed to Joida and broke down upon seeing their children safe. They thanked the Uttara Kannada police for their swift action and later took their children home.
