1 week Ago
Surat: The courage of two boys, just seven years old, who managed to escape from a sari packing unit in Surat's Puna area, led to the rescue of three other kids who were forced into child labour . Tired, frightened, and unsure of where they were, the boys somehow made their way to the Godadara police station four days ago, seeking help. The boys, originally from Rajasthan's Udaipur district, told the Godadara police that they were tortured by the unit owner and made to work up to 16 hours a day for just Rs 200.
Since they did not remember the exact address of the unit, officials from Varachha police station walked with them through the area, trying to identify the location. When they failed to find the sari unit, the cops sent the boys to the children's home in Katargam. However, they continued to search for the unit with whatever little information they could gather.
Meanwhile, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit ( AHTU ) unit ACP Mini Joseph alerted the Varachha, Puna, and Godadara police stations about the two child labourers and asked them to conduct searches in their respective areas. Varachha sub-inspector Falguni Chaudhary and her team started searching for the place with the kids. They took them to different locations and walked with them to find the place.
After covering around 5 km, the children were able to point out the place in Bilnath Society, under the jurisdiction of Puna police station. At the location, police found three more children, aged between 8 and 17, working in similar conditions. The police arrested the unit owner, Prakash Bhuriya, and one of his aides.
They were booked under the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, the Juvenile Justice Act, and relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All five children have been sent to the children's home in Katargam. Authorities are in the process of contacting their families and arranging for their safe return.
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