Udaipur cops rescue 91 child labourers from Surat textile units

Jaipur: Udaipur police, the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) and child rights organisations rescued 91 child labourers from textile factories in Surat during a joint operation on May 13, officials said.

Police said the children, aged between seven and 14, had been trafficked and forced to work in textile units for meagre wages. Most were from tribal areas of Rajasthan’s Udaipur region, while others were from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

Officials said the operation was launched following inputs gathered by social activist and former Rajasthan State Child Commission member Shailendra Pandya about large-scale child labour in Surat’s textile sector. The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights later took cognisance and issued directions.

Investigators said surveillance over nearly a month confirmed minors were being employed under exploitative conditions. During the raid, traffickers and factory owners allegedly fled after receiving prior information.

Pandya said children led rescue teams to buildings locked from outside, where minors were allegedly made to work 12-hour shifts. Police found several children living in cramped rooms near factories.

All rescued children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee . Further investigation is under way.