Mangaluru: Timely action by the Udupi and Uttara Kannada Police has resulted in them securing 21 Madarasa students, who were kidnapped by a person, at Kumta Railway station on Friday. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Tayyib, a resident of Bihar.

The police had received a complaint from a person identified as Abdul Samad on Friday at 5.30pm stating that a group of 21 Madarasa students from Jamia Madeenathul Uloom Madeena Masjid, Karkala were allegedly kidnapped by Mohammad Tayyib.

The accused worked as a teacher with the Madarasa. The children are in the age group of 8 to 16. He took them away at 2 am. Based on the details, the accused was traced and all the children were secured from Kumta railway station – while they were on board the Matysagandha Express at 7 pm. The operation involved close cooperation between Udupi and Karwar district police.

Police said all children were from Bihar. They were brought here to study in the Madarassa by the accused himself. He taught them Arabic. The expenses for the travel was paid by the karkalla Madarasa management. However, the accused also took money from parents of the children. On coming to know of this fact, the Madarasa management took him to task and asked him to return money to the parents. Unsettled by this, the accused took away the children without informing Madrasa management. The rescued children are housed at Albady mosque in Shankaranayana near Udupi.