As many as 21 students studying in a madrassa at Karkala who were “kidnapped” by their teacher over a monetary issue in the early hours of Friday were rescued by the police at the Kumta Railway Station in Uttara Kannada in the evening.
Assistant Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Sonawane said here that the police received a complaint at around 5 p.m. stating that a group of 21 madrassa students from Jamia Madeenathul Uloom, Madeena Masjid, in Karkala, were “kidnapped” by teacher Mohammad Tayyab. The children are in the age group of eight to 16. He took them away at 2 a.m. in the early hours of Friday. Based on the details given, the accused was traced and all the children, who were on the Matysagandha Express, secured at the Kumta Railway Station at 7 p.m.
The police arrested Mohammad Tayyab. There was close cooperation between the police of Udupi and Uttara Kannada during the operation.
The accused, Mohammed Tayyab, is a resident of Bihar. All the children he “kidnapped” too belonged to Bihar. They were brought here to study in the madrassa by the accused himself. He taught them Arabic.
A case has been registered under Section 363 of Indian Penal Code at the Karkala Town Police Station. Investigation is on, the police said.
Though the madrassa management was paying him, the accused was taking money from the children’s parents, which the management objected to. Asked by the management to return the money to the parents, he apparently got upset and took away the children without informing the madrassa management, Mr. Sonawane said.
