2 teens abducted from UP rescued in Maharashtra

Two teenaged girls allegedly kidnapped from Uttar Pradesh have been rescued in Palghar district of Maharashtra, police said on Wednesday.

A man, also hailing from UP, has been arrested on charges of kidnapping them, a police spokesperson said.

The girls, aged 16 and 17 years, both distant cousins, went to their relative's house at Sonauli town in Maharajganj district of UP last week. One of them was apparently depressed after failing in her intermediate exams, he said.

On the intervening night of May 9-10, the duo left their relative's house without informing anyone, he said.

When their families failed to trace them, they approached the Sonauli police, raising suspicion on one Abhijit Yadav, from Prayagraj in UP, for having abducted them, the official said.

The police there registered a case under Indian Penal Code Section 363 (kidnapping) and started an investigation.

Meanwhile, Palghar crime branch's police sub-inspector Surendra Shivde, who was on leave, got a tip-off about two girls brought by a man and kept at a house in his locality in Vasai area here, the official said.

Shivde rescued the two girls from the house on Tuesday evening and arrested Yadav from there, he said.

The police suspect that the accused brought the girls here to push them into flesh trade, he said.

The girls' families were informed about the rescue, he said, adding they would reach here soon to take them back.