Thane police shut illegal game zone; owner and two operators arrested

Authorities confirmed that the gaming centre was operating without proper authorisation. Representational Pic

Police in Maharashtra's Thane district have shut down an illegally run game zone and arrested its owner along with two operators after discovering serious safety violations, officials said on Thursday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone III) Atul Zende stated that, acting on a tip-off, officers inspected the game zone on Chinchpada Road in Kalyan on Tuesday. Inside, they found several minor boys and girls playing on eight computers. A closed private room on the ground floor was also discovered, which lacked adequate lighting, ventilation, fire safety measures, and CCTV surveillance, reported news agency PTI.

Following the inspection, police registered a case against the owner and operators under sections 125 (acts endangering life or personal safety of others) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. All three were subsequently arrested.

Authorities confirmed that the gaming centre was operating without proper authorisation and have ordered it to be shut down, as per PTI.

The incident comes nearly a year after a major fire at a gaming zone in Rajkot, Gujarat, in May 2024, which resulted in 27 fatalities.

Maharashtra: Navi Mumbai cops raid lodge, rescue two women

In another incident, the Navi Mumbai Crime Branch's Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) raided a lodge in the APMC area on Thursday, November 20, and rescued two women allegedly forced into commercial sex work. The raid was carried out on the orders of Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe.

The action followed a tip-off received by Senior Police Inspector Prithviraj Ghorpade about a flesh trade racket operating from Shrinidhi Hotel & Lodging in Sector 19/C, APMC.

Police said lodge manager Mastaram Ramasanehi Kanojiya was showing women to customers and charging Rs 5000. A decoy customer was sent, and after a signal, the team raided the lodge and rescued the women.

Three accused were arrested: Kanojiya, who accepted R4500 from the decoy, waiter Vishal Yadav, and Sonu alias Shahin Husain Mandal, identified as the supplier of women. The lodge owner, Raghu Anna, identified as the main suspect, is absconding and has been declared wanted.

Those arrested were produced in court on Saturday, November 22, and remanded to police custody till November 24. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

(With PTI inputs)