On the night of January 12, 2026, in Joida, Uttara Kannada district, an accident involving a motorcyclist led to the rescue of two kidnapped children. The children, Tanveer Dodmani and Lakshmi Kariyappanavar, were taken by a motorcyclist named Karim Mestri from a government school in Kamalapur, Dharwad, during their lunch break. Karim told them he was taking them to the Ulavi Jatre fair. The children went missing that day, causing panic. Police quickly launched a search linked to CCTV footage showing Karim leaving the school with the children. Residents of Joida found the motorcyclist and the kids after his bike accident and alerted the police. Police then connected the accident to the kidnapping case. Karim was injured on his head and limbs; the children suffered minor injuries. All were treated first at Joida taluk hospital and later at Dharwad district hospital. On January 13, Hubballi Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar consoled the children's parents. He said Karim, 50, was giving unclear reasons, claiming he loved children and took them for snacks and chocolates. However, his actions raised suspicion. The commissioner revealed Karim had a previous POCSO case from 2018 for taking a child into a forest and had escaped then. Karim is currently at KMCRI Hospital, Hubballi, and further questioning will follow. The children are unrelated to Karim and were returned safely to their families. Medical exams in the presence of parents and police confirmed only minor injuries to the children.