28 child labourers rescued

In a series of raids that started on Monday night and went on till Tuesday morning at Goregaon, Vakola and Kurar, more than 28 children employed at hotels and sugarcane centres were rescued. The raids were carried out by police along with Balprafulta, an NGO working for children.

In a series of raids that started on Monday night and went on till Tuesday morning at Goregaon, Vakola and Kurar, more than 28 children employed at hotels and sugarcane centres were rescued.

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The raids were carried out by police along with Balprafulta, an NGO working for children.

The Goregaon police rescued 22 boys, all aged below 18, from a restaurant and sugarcane centre near the station.

Of the 22 boys, 12 were below the age of 15. They were sent to Mankhurd children’s home.

According to the Child Labour Act, children below 14 years of age cannot be employed.

While 11 children were rescued from Chaku club and café Aasra at Vakola, five boys were rescued from a sugarcane centre and hotel at Kurar. The boys were sent to Nagpada hospital for a check-up and later sent to the children’s home.

“These children were working at the restaurant for more than 12 to 15 hours every day. The owners of the respective restaurants and other establishments were arrested under the Child Labour Act,’ said Snehal Rane, member of the NGO.

“Most of the boys from Goregaon, Kurar and Vakola were from Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh,” she added.

“When we asked the boys how old they were, they lied to us as instructed by their employers, Later they revealed their real ages,” said Inspector S. Sawant of the Goregaon police station.

Around 1 lakh children are employed as labourers in the city.