HC seeks response on snatching of 25 kids rescued from illegal industries in Delhi

The main petition arose out of a massive fire at a building in Anaj Mandi, Sadar Bazar, which resulted in the death of 45 persons, including 12 children between the age group of 12 to 18 years on December 8, 2019.

A division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad issued notice on the application seeking urgent directions, asking the state government to file their response and listed the matter for hearing on August 4. The Delhi government’s counsel Satyakam said an FIR had been registered and the police will look into it.

On March 27, the HC was informed by NGO’s counsel Prabhsahay Kaur that more than 200 children working as child labourers have been rescued in the past month and a half, and the process of conducting further raids is ongoing. The Delhi government had also said that the process of conducting further raids is happening.

The fresh application states that on April 27 a raid was planned in Agar Nagar and Mubarakpur Dhabas, and was discussed in a pre-rescue meeting held on April 24 which saw the participation of SDM Rohini, local police, labour department, representatives of the petitioner NGO, representatives of NCPCR and representatives of NGO’s Bal Vikas Dhara and Sahyog.

As per the plea, the raid and rescue team had information that a plethora of illegal industries/manufacturing units are being operated in the area and hundreds of children are likely to be found.

Pursuant to the raid, around 20-25 children were found “cramped in small unventilated areas and were found to be dehydrated, malnourished working on chemicals, carrying out cutting work with blades and scissors and with machines for sewing purses/belts”.

“The rescue team quickly took custody of the children and was in the process of leading the children towards their vehicle for being taken to the SDM office for further proceedings, when they were intercepted and surrounded by an unruly mob consisting of almost 150-200 people. This mob consisted of employers running the illegal operations in these areas and was being guided by (a man)… who claimed to be the RWA President. The lone police official accompanying the rescue/raid team tried to control the mob but was unable to,” the plea states.

It further claims that the mob turned “violent” and started to attack the rescue/raid team by attacking, assaulting and hurling stones at them. The petitioner has said that a woman from the NGO Bal Vikas Dhara was allegedly sexually assaulted and molested wherein the mob gave calls to allegedly “tear her clothes and parade her”.

The application states that during this assault, the “mob of traffickers and employers” snatched away all the rescued children; however, the rescue team was able to protect a child in the midst of the assault.

The petitioner has said that an FIR was registered on the same day at Prem Nagar police station under various provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of

Children) Act, Child and Adolescent Labour (Protection and Regulation) Act, IPC including assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty (Section 354) and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.

The application states that no arrest has been made by the police till date and none of the children who were forcibly taken away has been recovered by police.

Among various prayers, plea seeks a direction to the respondent authorities to take immediate action on FIR, including carrying out of arrests, and forthwith investigate and trace the 20-25 children who were forcibly snatched away by the mob.