Central Crime Branch sleuths and officials of the Labour Department on Monday raided five bag manufacturing units in Devarajeevanahalli here and rescued 64 child workers.
Acting on a tip-off from a non-governmental organisation, the team, led by Joint Commissioner Hemant Nimbalkar, raided three residential buildings which housed the bag manufacturing units.
Among the child workers rescued, 11 are from Nepal, while the others are from Bihar, Mr. Nimbalkar said.
As many as seven persons were arrested and booked under the Juvenile Justice Act, Child labour Act, Bonded Labour Act and the Right to Education Act.
The children, who have been working in the units for the past one year, were deprived of basic facilities, Mr. Nimbalkar said and added that the children were not paid any salary nor were they allowed to venture out.
The children, aged between 14 and 18, belong to poor families.
Parents of these children were given money for letting their children work in the units, he said.
The police are on the lookout for the 15 more people in the case.
The rescued children are now under the care of the Women and Child Department, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Abhishek Goyal said.
“We are planning to admit these children to school under the Right to Education Act. Efforts are on to establish contact with their parents,” he said.
