Father gives up 12-year-old son to relative for 10 months of bonded labour, boy rescued

Kota (Rajasthan) Jul 5 (PTI) A 12-year-old boy, handed over to a relative by his father at Rs 20,000 for 10 months to work as bonded labour, was rescued from Bundi Railway station after he managed to escape, officials said on Saturday.

His father wanted to offer 'bhog' to a deity in his village and he needed Rs 20,000- Rs 25,000 for it. So he handed the boy over to the relative, who made pop art sculptures in Bundi last month, they said.

Bundi Childline on Thursday received information from the Jaipur control room about a boy sitting at Bundi railway station who wanted to go to Udaipur, said Ramnarayan Gurjar, district coordinator of Childline 1098.

He and counsellor Manjeet reached the spot and rescued the boy and produced him before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), he said.

The child who was brought to Bundi on June 21 and was allegedly made to work between 9 am and 6 pm, Bundi CWC chairperson Seema Poddhar said.

The boy did not want to work there but as his father had already taken money, he couldn't return home, she said.

On Thursday, the boy decided to escape and reached Bundi railway station. He asked for help from a stranger and used his phone to call his mother.

As per procedure, a taskforce comprising the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, Labour Department and Childline was involved and an FIR was registered under section of BNS, juvenile justice and child labour laws against the relative.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), Bundi HD Singh also visited the government juvenile home and spoke to the boy. She recorded his statements and, considering the seriousness of the matter, approved the issuance of a "certificate of release from bonded labour" on Friday.

Based on the certificate, immediate financial assistance of Rs 30,000 would be given to the child. PTI COR SKY SKY