Karnataka - Gulbarga   

Rumours of kidnapping cause panic

Special Correspondent

No incident of kidnapping has been reported in Gulbarga, say police

GULBARGA: The rumour mills are working overtime in Gulbarga triggering panic among residents about the reported kidnap of children by groups roaming near villages in the past couple of days.

Although not a single missing child case has been reported in the district, local newspapers are full of reports of people "catching" two or three suspected "kidnappers" and handing them over to the police. Following the rumours about the kidnapping of children on Saturday, some schools on the outskirts of the cityclosed their main gates and did not allow children to go out of the school till vehicles arrived at the school gates to pick them up. The questioning of the three suspected "kidnappers" who were caught by people and handed over to the police have revealed very little about their activities and one person, hailing from Nepal, who was handed over to the police on Saturday was said to be mentally challenged. The rumours were thick in the city on Saturday of another group comprising two women who were "hiding" on the outskirts in Udnur village. Police who rushed to the village searched for the group, but no arrests have been made. Superintendent of Police Manish Kharbikar has appealed to people to stay calm and not believe rumours of kidnapping of children in the district.

Mr. Kharbikar said there were no incidents of kidnapping of children reported in any part of the district and assured that the police had stepped up their vigil on groups arousing suspicion in the district.

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