The Rachakonda police on Sunday announced that they have rescued 172 children as a part Operation Muskan VI initiative.
Of these 172, 103 are boys and the remaining - girls. As many as 19 children were rescued after they were found begging.
Police said that 88 children are from Telangana, 20 from Madhya Pradesh, 16 from Chhattisgarh, and 13 from Jharkhand.
As many as 18 cases were booked and 37 persons were arrested in connection with making minors work. Police said the accused brought the minors from different States so that they could pay them less. They then made them work for more than nine hours, paid them poorly, and kept them in inhuman conditions, police said.
Cases under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour Act and Bonded Labour Act have been booked against the accused.
