Mumbai, Aug 20 — In a major action against child labour, the Charkop Police raided an imitation jewellery manufacturing unit in Kandivali West and rescued 13 minors, Mumbai police officials said on Thursday.
The rescued children are reportedly between 13 and 17 years of age.
Mumbai Police conducted the operation at a unit identified as ‘Jhahara Fashion Era’, located in the Charkop Industrial Estate. According to preliminary investigations, minors were allegedly employed at the facility to manufacture imitation jewellery and bangles.
The police said the children were allegedly made to work for nine to 10 hours a day and were not paid adequate wages. All 13 children reportedly hail from different districts of West Bengal.
Investigators also uncovered another disturbing detail during the raid: The children were living at the workplace itself. The owner and operator of the unit reportedly failed to produce valid documents verifying the ages of the children.
The police have detained the unit’s owner, Ankit Kumar Mahendra Rawal, and its operator, Saminur Motiyar Rahman Shaikh. A case has been registered against both under relevant provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Following the rescue, the 13 minors were handed over to the department concerned for further care and necessary action.
The police are now investigating who was responsible for bringing the children from West Bengal to Mumbai and whether a larger network involved in child labour is operating behind the racket.
Under Indian law, the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, which was amended in 2016, prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 in all occupations and processes, subject to certain exceptions, including helping in non-hazardous family enterprises after school hours or during vacations.
The law also prohibits adolescents between the ages of 14 and 18 from working in hazardous occupations and processes.
Children are permitted to assist their families or family enterprises only under specific conditions, provided the work is non-hazardous and does not adversely affect their education.
Article 24 of the Indian Constitution prohibits the employment of children in factories, mines and other hazardous occupations, while Article 21A guarantees free and compulsory education to children between the ages of six and 14.