Five child labourers rescued from hotels in Palghar district; two held

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The police on Saturday said that the officials have rescued five child labourers and arrested two persons in raids at hotels in Maharashtra's Palghar district, reported news agency PTI.

The police's anti-human trafficking unit (AHTU), along with labour officials, raided two hotels in Vasai on Thursday and rescued five boys in the age group of 13 to 17 years, an official said, reported PTI.

The team arrested Moin Mobin Khan (20) and Faizal Khan Abutalha Muslim Khan (21), both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, for employing underage boys and forcing them to perform life-threatening and labour-intensive tasks against their will, reported PTI.

A case has been registered under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act at Achole police station, the official said.

Two history-sheeters held; stolen valuables worth Rs 1.90 lakh seized

With the arrest of two history-sheeters, police in Maharashtra's Palghar district claimed to have cracked at least three criminal cases, and seized from them stolen items worth over Rs 1.90 lakh, an official said on Wednesday, reported PTI.

The arrest was made by the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police.

In a press conference held at Vasai, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone-II) Poornima Chougule-Shringi said that a woman had lodged a complaint at the Valiv police station stating that two unidentified persons came on a motorcycle and snatched her mangalsutra (necklace) worth Rs 45,000 under the pretext of asking her an address in Vasai on November 28, reported PTI.

A similar incident was reported from the Manickpur police station, she said.

"The police finally tracked down one of the accused, Kannubhai alias Kanhaya Ramabai Solanki (45) in Gujarat's Himmatnagar, where he was chased on a motorcycle. The second accused, Mohammad Sharif Farid Khan (55), was arrested from Bhandup in Mumbai," Shringi said, reported PTI.

During their interrogation, it came to light that Solanki was involved in seven incidents of crime registered at Khadia, Bayad, Paldi, Himmatnagar, Ghatlodia and Umra police stations in Gujarat, while cases were filed in Bandra and Surat against the second accused, the official said.

(With inputs from PTI)