Cops rescue 5 kids, arrest 2 suspects in new drive against child labour

The social service branch of Mumbai crime branch has begun a drive to rescue child labourers working in the city illegally. In the past three days, the police have managed to rescue five children and have arrested two people.

The children were rescued from Nagpada and Agripada, of which one was rescued from Agripada while the others were rescued from a leather bag shop at Nagpada.

According to police, the rescued children were brought to Mumbai from various places like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Nepal to work in factories and shops.

In a crackdown on child labour and human trafficking, the police along with other child protection activists from NGO Pratham had surveyed various places in Mumbai where children work. Places such as Dharavi, Madanpura, Shivaji Nagar, Agripada, Govandi, and Nagpada were surveyed.

The police along with the NGO identified as many as 500 child labourers where they were forced to work under strict supervision.

"It's a continuous process and we keep raiding places along with Pratham and other NGOs to rescue minors. Three kids were brought from Nepal by their own father. The father is a child trafficker who brings kids from his hometown to work in Mumbai. We have arrested the manager of the leather bag shop in Nagpada, while the owner and father are at large." said a crime branch officer.

"The rescued children who have been rescued are below fourteen, they were working for more than 15 hours a day," said Kishor Bhamare, Director, Pratham NGO.