Four minors forced into bonded labour rescued in Palghar-Thane; two FIRs registered

Thane/Palghar, Oct 31 (PTI) Four children from the Katkari tribal community have been rescued from bonded labour in Palghar and Thane districts, following which two FIRs were registered, police officials said on Friday.

A 6-year-old boy from Gaurapur in Wada taluka was rescued from a shop in Uttan in Bhayander, where he was being forced to work due to a Rs 1000 loan that his grandmother had taken from the shopkeeper, a police official said.

"The man promised to pay salary of Rs 20000 but instead forced him to work for a paltry sum. The shopkeeper has been booked," the Wada police station official said.

Three minor girls in the 12-16 age group from Vadachapada Bahadoli area of Palghar were rescued from forced labour in Uttan-Bhayander. They had been forced into the work by two women who had paid their parents between Rs 2000 and Rs 6000, the official said.

"The three girls were kept in confinement for three months and made to dry and scale fish along with household chores. The two women have been detained," the Manor police station official said.

The two cases have been registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bonded Labour Abolition Act, the Child Labour Act, and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and the probe has been transferred to the Uttan Sagari police station.

The official said local organisation Shramjeevi Sanghatana played an important role in bringing these cases to light. PTI COR BNM