14 child labourers rescued from jewellery shops in Indore

At least 14 child labourers were rescued from Indore’s jewellery market on Wednesday by a joint team of Madhya Pradesh police, Childline and women and child welfare department, officials said.

At least 14 child labourers were rescued from Indore’s jewellery market on Wednesday by a joint team of Madhya Pradesh police, Childline and women and child welfare department, officials said.

HT Image

District child protection officer Bhagwandas Sahu said the owners of the nine shops from where the children were rescued had been booked under relevant sections of the anti-child labour act.

The investigation was under way, he said adding, majority of the children hailed from West Bengal and were allegedly forced to work in the jewellery shops at Saraf area in Indore.

The age of the children was yet to be ascertained as they didn’t carry any documents in this regard, Sahu said.

The Childline would keep the children till the district child welfare committee took the decision about their rehabilitation, he said.

Childline director Wasim Iqbal said the raiding teams were formed after the police sources confirmed that a few jewellers had forced some under-age kids to work in their shops.

He said the area was notorious for child labour. About 45 children had been rescued from the same area since 2011.

Iqbal alleged that an organised child labour racket was operating in the area and expressed the possibility of more such hauls from the locality in future.