Hubballi, October 10, 2025
In a dramatic escalation of a simmering financial feud, a prominent civil contractor was abducted at knifepoint from his office in Hubballi on Wednesday afternoon, prompting a high-stakes police chase across districts that ended with the victim's rescue and the arrest of 10 suspects late that evening. The incident, which unfolded within the jurisdiction of Gokul Road Police Station, has no confirmed links to religious motives despite the involvement of individuals from diverse backgrounds, authorities clarified amid unverified social media whispers of deeper angles.
Mohan Chavan, a 45-year-old resident of Surya Nagar and owner of a construction firm, was targeted by a gang of over 15 armed men led by Basappa Dalawai, a sub-contractor from Bailhongal in Belagavi district. The abductors stormed Chavan's office in Laxmi Nagar near Tolanakere around 3 p.m., brandishing knives and threatening his staff with violence before bundling him into unmarked vehicles and speeding away. The motive, police said, stemmed from a protracted dispute over unpaid dues totaling approximately ₹85 lakh for sub-contracting work and labor supply on various projects. Dalawai and his accomplices, including manpower providers, had repeatedly demanded settlement, but tensions boiled over into this brazen daytime kidnapping.
Chavan's brother, Arvind, who witnessed the assault, immediately filed a complaint at Gokul Road Police Station, alerting authorities to the fleeing vehicles. Acting on the tip, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner N. Shashikumar mobilized teams from Dharwad and Belagavi, issuing alerts to intercept the suspects. A tense pursuit ensued: One vehicle carrying Dalawai was cornered near Hubballi Airport, where the gang attacked pursuing officers with stones and weapons before escaping toward Dharwad. Another interception near KC Park in Dharwad led to the arrest of Dalawai and nine others, while the vehicle ferrying the injured Chavan—suffering a head wound from the scuffle—was halted near Muragod village in Bailhongal taluk around 8 p.m., securing his safe release without ransom payment.
The arrested include Dalawai (42), Krishnappa Badiger (38), Majid Sab Nadaf (35), Rudrappa Bhajantri (40), Shankar Hiremetri (32), Nazeer Makandar (29), Hanumanth Kallakutar (45), Channappa Manawaddar (37), Shekhappa Kallawaddar (41), and Bhimappa Kallawaddar (39)—a mix of locals from Bailhongal with prior records in petty crimes and financial frauds. Three FIRs have been registered under IPC sections for kidnapping (363), assault (323, 353), and criminal intimidation (506), with police probing potential involvement of over 10 more fugitives. "This was purely a monetary grudge; no communal or personal vendetta was involved," Commissioner Shashikumar asserted during a press briefing on Thursday, dismissing early online speculation linking the case to broader social narratives like 'love jihad'—a term often invoked in interfaith relationship disputes but absent here.
The swift operation, lauded by local BJP MLA Arvind Bellad as a "testament to vigilant policing," highlights ongoing challenges in Hubballi's construction sector, where delayed payments frequently spark violence. Chavan, now under medical observation at a private hospital, recounted the ordeal: "They dragged me out, saying I'd pay or face worse. I thought it was over." His family expressed relief, crediting the rapid response for averting a tragedy. As investigations deepen, authorities vow to dismantle the network, with forensic teams analyzing the vehicles for clues.
This episode echoes a string of financial rifts turning criminal in the twin cities, underscoring calls for stricter oversight on contractor disputes. For now, Hubballi breathes easier, but the shadow of unresolved debts lingers.
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