Two factory owners land in soup for violating labour act, 12 children rescued

Kids, who are under the age of 14 years, have also alleged that they were forced to work for 12 to 14 hours daily

Police on Saturday booked two factory owners in separate cases for employing child labourers, who were rescued during raids conducted by district task force members.

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The custody of 12 rescued children has been handed over to their families after conducting their medical examination at the civil hospital.

In the first case, the Daresi police registered a first information report (FIR) against Mohammad Raza of Sardar Nagar.

Arshdeep Singh, labour commissioner and nodal officer of district task force, in his complaint stated that they had conducted a raid at Raza’s factory following a tip-off. “We found seven children under the age of 14 years working in the factory, which is against the law,” he added. The commissioner said, “Employing a child labourer is a crime. We questioned the owner of the factory in this regard, but he failed to give any satisfactory response.”

The rescued children have alleged that the factory owner did not allow them to go out of the unit.

They also claimed that they were forced to work for 12 to 14 hours daily and the owner did not give them sufficient money.

In another such case, Dinesh Kumar, an office-bearer of NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan, along with the team of district task force, conducted a raid at hosiery factory Sarvar and Sons in Hargobind Nagar of Haibowal and rescued five children.

Following the complaint of Dinesh Kumar, the Haibowal police have booked the owner of the factory, Ghulam Sarvar, and registered an FIR under Sections 23, 24, 26 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Sections 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act against him. He has not been arrested as well.