Cops rescue 13 child labour from Hyderabad unit

Hyderabad: Stinking food and 17 long working hours was the life of the 13 children who were rescued from the Bangle making units located at Balapur.

The children, all hailing from Bihar, have been sent to rescue homes for protection and care, while two accused who were exploiting the children have been arrested and sent to judicial remand by the Rachakonda police on Thursday.

The Balapur police had received a complaint from officials of Labour Department about the illegal detention of children at Arafat Colony. A team of sleuths along with the labour department officials rushed to the units and found that the 13 children were confined in two rooms where they were made to work.

The police said that the rooms were taken on rent by Mohammed Muzammil, 32, and Mohammed Abdul Mutalab, 30, both natives of Sarounji village in Gaya district of Bihar, who were running the bangle making units in Bawazeer Colony. The duo has paid meager amounts to the parents of the children and trafficked them to the city to work at the units. The children were given amounts varying from `3,000 to `4,000 yearly, said the police.  

“The rescued children were as young as eight years. They were forced to work from 6 am to 11 pm in a day and were not allowed to go outside the rooms and were locked from outside. On checking, it was found that the children were given food that was stinking. They were treated as slaves by the accused,” said Rachakonda DCP (in-charge crimes) K Narayana Reddy.

The DCP said that the teams rescued six children from a room taken on rent by Muzammil and seven children from Mutalab.

The children were sent to rescue homes for protection and care, and efforts are on to identify their parents. The duo was taken into custody for questioning, and they confessed to having put the children to work. They were produced before a court for remand on Thursday,  the inspector said.