In two separate incidents, eight children were rescued from a bag manufacturing firm and a restaurant in Madanpura in Nagpada. The police has also arrested five people including owners and managers of the establishments.
The Juvenile Aid Protection Unit (JAPU) of the enforcement branch of the Mumbai police conducted the operation. The JAPU unit received a tip that minors were being employed at the factory and the restaurant, following which a team led by assistant police inspector Santosh Shinde raided the place.
According to officials, six children were employed at the bag manufacturing company. “They were handling the machine used to make holdings attached to bags. They did not have any protective gear,” said the officer. The remaining two were employed in the hotel. “It was a small restaurant and the children did various jobs including washing vessels and cleaning tables,” he said.
Mr Shinde said that the children had come to the city nearly a year ago. “They are from a small village in Bihar and we are trying to ascertain who brought them to the city. All of them are boys aged between 10-14 years,” he said.
