Three men tried to kidnap a 16-year-old girl in Belthangady, Dakshina Kannada district on February 9. The girl, a first PU student, was riding her two-wheeler to college when the trio, with faces covered, stopped her. They tried to drag her into their multi-utility vehicle. When she resisted, they stabbed her lightly with a knife. A passer-by came to her rescue, and the men fled. The girl and her parents reported the incident to police, who are now investigating. After visiting the girl in hospital, Belthangady MLA Harish Poonja slammed the situation. He said, "The Home Department has time and again demonstrated its inability to maintain law and order." He warned that lawlessness is growing not just in Dakshina Kannada but across Karnataka. The MLA demanded a swift arrest of the suspects.