Two girls kidnapped from Maha rescued in Gujarat

A 68-year-old man was arrested from Gujarat's Surat district for allegedly kidnapping two minor girls from Nandurbar district in neighbouring Maharashtra, police said today.

The girls, aged 8 and 11, were handed over to Nandurbar police along with the accused, identified as Babban Pawara, in Kim in Surat district today, they said.

The girls hailed from Shahada in tribal-dominated Nandurbar district.

Pawara was arrested by Kosamba police yesterday after the police received a complaint that the girls were forcibly brought to Kim Kothwa Dargah in Surat district, said Surat (rural) DySP Hetal Patel.

"One Ibrahim Shah, who volunteers at the Dargah, spotted the girls crying. Upon inquiry, the girls told him that they were brought here forcibly by an elderly man from Nandurbar. Shah then alerted Kosamba police officials," Patel said.

When the Kosamba police contacted their counterparts in Nandubar, they were told that the girls were kidnapped five days ago and an FIR was registered, he said.

Patel said Pawara is also wanted in the murder case of his son.

A team of police from Nandurbar today came here to take custody of the girls and the accused.

Shah, who had alerted the police, was felicitated by Nandurbar police, Patel said.