Police have said they are probing all angles in the matter
In a shocking case of kidnapping caught on camera, a 23-year-old school teacher was forced into an SUV by three men in Karnataka's Hassan district this morning. CCTV visuals show the woman, Arpita, near the school she taught in. The men close in and a slowly approaching SUV stops beside her before she is grabbed and hauled inside.
According to the police, Arpita's mother has accused Ramu, a relative, of being involved in her kidnapping. The two were in a relationship for about four years, the family has said.
Police said three teams have been formed and they are investigating the case from every angle. "The woman worked at a school. She was kidnapped on a day when the school was shut. Why did she leave home and head to the school when it was shut? Was there a function or did she step out for some other work? We are investigating all this," said Hassan police chief Mohammed Sujeeta.
Schools in Karnataka are shut today to mark Kanaka Dasa Jayanti, the birth anniversary of poet and philosopher Kanaka Dasa.
The CCTV footage of the incident starts with a man loitering near an alley. Soon after, a woman, identified as Arpita, emerges from the alley. At this point, an SUV slowly approaches her. Soon, a man runs down the street. He is joined by the man loitering outside the alley and the two grab the women. The car's door opens, another man emerges and the three push the women into the car. The SUV then leaves the spot.
Police later visited the crime scene and spoke to local residents about the incident.