‘Parents aware’, ‘lured on pretext of excursion’: 91 children rescued from 3 textile units in Surat; 86 belong to Rajasthan; youngest just 7
Children were trafficked mostly from the tribal areas of Rajasthan; 2 each from Jharkhand and UP, one from Bihar
Punagam police inspector V M Desai said that they have started procedures of registering an offence against the accused people involved in the racket.
As many as 91 children from four states, including 86 from Rajasthan, were rescued from three textile units in Surat on Wednesday during a joint operation conducted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), 22 police officials from Rajasthan, officials from Puna Police Station in Surat along with members of Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) and Gayetri Seva Sansthan (GSS).
AVA and GSS are partners of the Just Rights for Children, the country’s largest child protection network with over 250 partner organisations.
The children, aged between 7 and 14 years, were trafficked mostly from the tribal areas of Rajasthan, while three children belonged to Uttar Pradesh and one child each was from Bihar and Jharkhand. While traffickers and employers managed to flee from the scene during the raid, legal proceedings were underway and the rescued children were produced before the Child Welfare Committee in Surat.
The operation was initiated after GSS alerted the NCPCR regarding trafficking rackets operating in these areas following a month-long mapping exercise and investigation by the organisation. During the raid on the first textile unit, the rescued children led the rescue teams to other locations where more children were confined and employed.
“They led us to a building that was locked from outside. But the children insisted that there were children inside. When we entered the building, we found children as young as seven working inside the building. They were terrified, confused and looking very tired due to over 12 hours of work everyday,” said Dr Shailendra Pandya, GSS director.
“When we entered, a young child, not more than eight, was standing shirtless. He hid himself behind others and was asking if someone could lend him a shirt. Such was the plight of the children there,” Pandya said, adding that a rescue of this scale was possible because all the police officials and stakeholders from both the states acted promptly and urgently.
12-hours work, inside locked building
According to preliminary findings, employers adopted deliberate methods to avoid suspicion. The younger children were brought to the units early in the morning and locked inside the building from outside. The building would only be open after 7 pm after the workday ended, sources said.
The rescued children were housed in nearby colonies under extremely congested conditions, with nearly 12 to 15 children sharing a single small room.
During interactions with officials, several children stated that their parents were aware that they had been sent for work. Some of the children disclosed that they were lured to Surat on the pretext of an excursion.
Among those rescued were two brothers aged 8 and 10 years from the tribal regions of Udaipur district in Rajasthan.
Preliminary investigations revealed that several children had been working in the units for the last three to four years while others were taken to the set up only recently.
Ravi Kant, National Convenor of Just Rights for Children, said, “The rescue exposes how trafficking and child labour continue to function as an organised and deeply entrenched criminal network across states. Children, especially from tribal and economically vulnerable communities, are being trafficked under false promises and pushed into exploitative labour conditions where they are isolated, confined and deprived of their childhood. This case underlines the urgent need for stronger inter-state coordination, continuous surveillance of supply chains and strict accountability of traffickers, employers and all intermediaries involved in the exploitation of children.”
Talking to The Indian Express, GSS Director Shailendra Pandya said, “Officials have carried out raids in the two residential societies like Sitaramnagar and Muktidham in the Punagam area. The maximum and minimum age of the child rescued was 14 and 7 years. These children were staying and working in hazardous conditions. Their monthly salary was between Rs 4,000 to Rs 7,500 and they were working from morning to night. The owner used to keep salary with him and give it to them when they go to their native places. The nature of work done by them is cutting, folding and packing of textile fabrics in the godowns at Punagam. They are provided accommodation and used to prepare their own food in the room.”
He added, “The rescued children were produced before the Child Welfare committee of Surat, which sent them to government shelter homes. We are coordinating with the CWC members of UP, Rajasthan, Bihar and Jharkhand.”
Punagam police inspector V M Desai said that they have started procedures of registering an offence against the accused people involved in the racket.
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