Teenager kidnapped while returning home from 'garba' event

A 17-year-old girl was allegedly kidnapped by her two neighbours here in Maharashtra while she was returning home from a 'garba' dance event during the ongoing Navratri festival, police said Wednesday.

The girl, a resident of Rameshwadi locality in Badlapur township here, went along with some relatives to enjoy the dance at a 'pandal' set up in their area Tuesday night, Thane police spokesperson Sukhada Narkar said.

Later, while she was walking back towards her home along with her maternal aunt and cousin sister, two men came there in a car. They caught hold of the teenager, pushed her into the vehicle and sped away, she said.

The aunt then informed the girl's parents about the incident. She also identified the two men as neighbours of the victim, Narkar said.

The parents searched for the girl but when they were unable to trace her, they registered a complaint against their two neighbours at the Badlapur police station in the wee hours of Wednesday, she said.

Efforts were on to trace the girl, Narkar said.

A search was also on for the accused, who have been booked under IPC section 363 (kidnapping) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), she added.