Two held for making seven minors work at Sassoon Docks in Mumbai

An FIR was registered against two owners of these godowns and if convicted they may be get up to five years in jail for child labour.

Seven minors including six girls, aged between 13 and 14 years, who were made to clean prawns in a couple of godowns at Sassoon Docks in Colaba, were rescued by the Special Juvenile Aid Protection Unit (SJAPU) of the Mumbai Crime Branch on Wednesday morning. An FIR was registered against two owners of these godowns and if convicted they may be get up to five years in jail for child labour.

All the minors’ parents also work nearby at Sassoon Docks in Mumbai. (HT FILE)

“The children, who must be sent to school under the Right to Education Act, were not going there. Instead, they were made to work from 6 am till 11 am. We have handed them over to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC),” said deputy commissioner of police, enforcement, Pravinkumar Patil.

Acting on a tip off, a team of SJAPU led by API Sudhakar Deshmukh raided the place around 8.45 am and rescued the children. In the seven minors, a girl is aged 16 and another 13. The rest five include 14-year-old boys. All the minors are residents of Ambedkar Nagar slum in Cuffe Parade. Their parents also work as fish cleaners nearby.

As the children are aged 14 years and below, the police have booked the owners of the godowns under section 3 and 14 of the Child Labour Act and under section 75 and 79 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, in which they may be punished up to five years.

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