A 25-year-old jewellery store salesman was fatally shot by two men on a motorcycle in Shahapur in Maharashtra`s Thane district, a police officer said on Sunday, reported news agency PTI.
The shooting took place around 10.30 pm on Saturday outside Mahalaxmi Jewellers in the Gotheghar area, where the victim Dineshkumar Manaram, his employer, and another individual were concluding their day.
“Two motorcycle-borne persons fired some rounds, which hit Chaudhary, who succumbed to his wounds some time later at a hospital in Thane. He passed away in the early hours of Sunday. They stole a bag Chaudhary was carrying,” the Shahapur Police Station officer said.
Chaudhary was a salesman with Mahalaxmi Jewellers, Senior Inspector Jitendra Thakur said, adding the motive of the incident remains unclear, stated PTI.
“A probe has begun under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police Milind Shinde. Roadblocks have been set up in several places in the district to nab the assailants. CCTV footage from the area as well as stretches of Mumbai-Nashik highway are being checked to ascertain their route of escape,” the official informed.
The firing incident has sparked concern among local business owners. The Shahapur Trade Association has expressed their dissatisfaction and urged law enforcement to swiftly apprehend those responsible for this violent act.
Thane packaging company owner booked for employing minors as labourers
In a significant crackdown on child labour, a 49-year-old man has been booked for allegedly employing children as labourers at his packaging company in Maharashtra`s Thane district. The police registered a case after a joint raid conducted by the labour department, women and child welfare authorities, and local police on Friday.
According to an official from the Narpoli police station, the raid took place at four different shops owned by the accused in Vehale village, located in the Bhiwandi area of Thane.
The company owner, who operates a packaging business, was found to have employed several minors at his premises. During the raid, the authorities discovered eight minor girls and one minor boy engaged in packing electronic goods, a task that they were forced to perform under questionable conditions.
The authorities acted after receiving a tip-off and a subsequent investigation. The presence of the minor workers at the company raised immediate concerns over child exploitation and illegal child labour.
As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, employing minors in such conditions is a criminal offence, and the police moved swiftly to file an FIR against the accused.
The packaging company, where the minors were discovered working, has now come under investigation, with the authorities looking into how long the children had been employed and the nature of their work.
(With inputs from PTI)
