Two kidnapped minor girls rescued by Beed police from UP; accused held in inter-state operation

The accused was apprehended through a planned trap operation, officials said. Representational Pic/File

Maharashtra's Beed police rescued two minor girl cousins from Uttar Pradesh, nearly a month after they were allegedly kidnapped from the district, officials said on Wednesday, reported the PTI.

The main accused, Vijay Mahadev Kavhle, a resident of Nanded, was arrested on Tuesday following a coordinated inter-state operation led by Beed police, they said.

The officials said that the accused had allegedly abducted the girls on April 5 from Umapur village in Georai taluka. The motive behind the crime is still under investigation.

Search operation across multiple states

According to the PTI, the case proved challenging for investigators as the accused frequently changed locations. Initial searches were carried out in Bhiwandi, where he had previously lived, but no leads were found.

Police then relied on technical surveillance and digital tracking, which indicated the victims' presence near the Bihar-Uttar Pradesh border region.

Rescue operation in Ballia

Acting on these inputs, a special investigation team was sent to Uttar Pradesh. With support from local police, search operations were conducted in Shivpur Diara and later in Sikanderpur town in Ballia district, the news agency reported.

The accused was eventually apprehended through a planned trap operation. Following interrogation, the police successfully traced and rescued the two girls.

Plan to flee foiled

Officials said the accused was allegedly planning to escape to Chhattisgarh with the victims. However, swift action by the police prevented the escape and ensured the safe recovery of the minors.

Youth gets 5-year jail term for sexually harassing girl

Meanwhile, in an another incident, a special POCSO court in Thane has sentenced a 21-year-old man to imprisonment for five years for sexually harassing and threatening a teenage girl after befriending her on social media while posing as a female, reported the PTI.

Special Judge Ruby U Malvankar, who pronounced the verdict, also directed the convict Prathamesh Pravin Jadhav, a dog trainer, to pay Rs 2.3 lakh to the complainant as compensation.

Special Public Prosecutor Yogendra Patil told the court that Jadhav posed as a female on social media to make friendship with the girl in March 2024. He then threatened to make her morphed pictures viral on social media and forced her to send him her private photos and videos.

The prosecution examined nine witnesses, including the teenager, her parents, forensic experts, and the nodal officer of a telecom company, to prove the charges against Jadhav.

(with PTI inputs)