About 190 minors from Odisha working at different brick kilns at Pedda Kondur village were rescued by the Pochampally police, Labour Department officers and other officials. Majority of those who were rescued were below 13 years, said police officials.
“The raids were carried out as part of Operation Smile (an initiative to trace missing children) by us. The minors, who came to the village along with their parents from Odisha were not being sent to school and instead were put to work,” said Snehitha, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Chotuppal division, Rachakonda police.
All those who were arrested for engaging the minors at work will be booked under relevant sections of the IPC and Bonded Labour Act, said Ms. Snehitha. Of the total number of minors who were rescued, 155 were below 13 years and 35 were between 13 to 18 years.
The children were working at about 11 brick kilns, said the ACP. She added that apart from the brick kiln owners, the police will also book traffickers who brokered the children into working there at Pedda Kondur village, which is about 50 kilometres away from Hyderabad. Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh Bhagwat said that the Odisha government has also been contacted after the rescue. “We have informed them about it, they will send officials from there soon,” he added.
