9 minors rescued after raids on meat processing units

During an inspection by the Supreme Court-appointed Slaughterhouse Monitoring Committee, the units were found to be operating without mandatory licences and under unhygienic conditions.

Nine minors — seven girls and two boys — were rescued from two meat processing units on Lawrence Road on Thursday and an FIR regarding the same was filed on Saturday.

During an inspection by the Supreme Court-appointed Slaughterhouse Monitoring Committee, the units were found to be operating without mandatory licences and under unhygienic conditions. (Hindustan Times)

During an inspection by the Supreme Court-appointed Slaughterhouse Monitoring Committee, the units were found to be operating without mandatory licences and under unhygienic conditions.

“The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was informed. But before they could arrive, some of the children were hustled away. Nine were rescued, and an FIR was lodged on Saturday,” said Gauri Maulekhi, trustee of People for Animals, and a member of the monitoring committee.

Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Vijayanta Arya said police teams assisted agencies in the rescue operation. “An FIR has been registered. We are yet to make any arrests and our teams are trying to trace the people responsible for this. Investigations in the case are in progress,” Arya said.

An NCPCR official said a detailed report is likely to be released on Monday.

A South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) official who was part of the team, on the condition of anonymity said, “Neither of the units had the mandatory health trade license provided by SDMC, and the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) certificate needed. Their working conditions were also very unhygienic.”