Rajkot Police Rescue 19 Child Labourers

Rajkot: In a major crackdown on child labour, Rajkot city police rescued 19 children from a residence at Gopal Residency Street No. 1 near Bedi Chowk on Friday. The children, who were reportedly brought from West Bengal, were allegedly forced to work under inhumane conditions by a contractor.

Acting on a tip-off received during an investigation into illegal Bangladeshi migrants, the city’s Special Operations Group (SOG) and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit raided the premises and found the children engaged in imitation jewellery work. Police said two of the rescued children were below 14 years of age, 12 were between 14 and 17, and five others were above 18.

A case has been registered against the contractor, identified as Ajitmoula Ajamtamoula, at B-Division Police Station. He allegedly paid the children Rs 5,000 per month and assaulted them with iron rods. Injury marks were found on several children, prompting a full medical examination.

Police said the contractor had been shifting the children’s location over the past month to avoid detection. Preliminary findings revealed that the accused had been trafficking children from West Bengal to Rajkot over the last two years.

The owner of the rented property, Babubhai Golabhai Bala, is also under investigation to determine whether any formal rental agreement exists. If not, separate legal action may follow under municipal housing and tenant regulations.

Authorities have assured further action based on medical reports and are exploring the involvement of additional individuals in the suspected child trafficking network. DeshGujarat