4 Years After Kidnapping, Ahmedabad Police Rescue Teen from Forced Labour; 2 Held

Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch rescued three minor boys, including a teenager who had allegedly been kidnapped in 2022 and forced into labour, and arrested two men in connection with the case, police said on Sunday.

The rescue was carried out during a drive by the Crime Branch and Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) to trace missing and kidnapped children. Acting on a tip-off, police raided Nadisar village near Godhra in Panchmahal district and found the three boys, aged between 16 and 17, allegedly engaged in farming and cattle-rearing work.

The arrested accused were identified as labour contractor Dinesh Oad, 47, and cattle herder Bharat Bharwad, 35, both residents of Nadisar village.

According to police, Oad allegedly abducted the boy when he was 14 and took him to Nadisar, where he allegedly sold him to Bharwad for ₹10,000. Bharwad allegedly forced the boy to work in cattle rearing and perform domestic chores.

Police said the teenager attempted to escape twice but was allegedly caught and assaulted, forcing him to remain in captivity.

The other two rescued boys were also allegedly being forced to work. One is from Nadisar, while the other is from Chhani in Vadodara. Both were reunited with their parents.

The rescued teenager, whose father is reportedly mentally unwell and whose mother has died, was handed over to his paternal uncle. The two accused will be handed over to Sola Police Station for further investigation. DeshGujarat