BAHRAICH, Sept. 26 -- A district administration inspection in Pahalwara village under Payagpur tehsil of Bahraich on Wednesday led to the rescue of 40 minor girls who were found locked inside a toilet of an unregistered madrasa operating in a three-storey building.

Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Payagpur, Ashwini Kumar Pandey, said the team had acted on repeated complaints about the functioning of the institution. "When we reached for inspection, the madrasa operators resisted and tried to prevent us from going upstairs. With police support, we found a locked toilet on the terrace. Once the door was opened by female police personnel, the girls started coming out one by one," Pandey said.

District minority welfare officer (DMO) Mohammad...