Hyderabad: Over 50 child labourers rescued from bangle-making units

Over 50 children from Bihar working in bangle-making units in Talab Katta area of Old City in Hyderabad were rescued by police.

"The children were rescued during a cordon and search operation carried out by South Zone police under Bhavaninagar police station limits," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (South Zone) K Babu Rao told PTI.

"We found 80 youngsters working in bangle-making units, out of whom 55 are children are below the age of 12 years. Seven persons who had employed the minors in the hazardous work have been taken into custody, and they are being questioned," he said.

The children were being paid a monthly salary of Rs 2,500, he said.

They were brought to another place and given food, he said, adding they would be handed over to the Child Welfare department.

The city police last year rescued around 500 children hailing from Bihar and Odisha who were working in hazardous industries in the Old City, and arrested several persons. Some of the kids were employed as bonded labourers, the police had earlier said.

The Hyderabad police has conducted massive search operations in different parts of the city for the past one year, based on complaints that some pockets of the city are becoming shelters for property offenders, snatchers and other criminals.