Three child labourers rescued in joint operation in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, June 12: In a coordinated rescue operation carried out on Thursday afternoon, three child labourers were rescued from two separate locations in Bhubaneswar by a joint team comprising members of the Ruchika Social Welfare Organization’s Access to Justice project, Childline, and Commissionerate Police.

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According to officials, a 16-year-old boy was rescued from a garage in the Mancheswar area, while two minors, aged 15 and 16, were found working at Sonali Mishtanna Bhandar in the Saheed Nagar locality.

Preliminary investigation revealed that the child rescued from Mancheswar hails from Mayurbhanj district, while the other two are from Nayagarh district.

All three minors were produced before the Additional Child Welfare Committee in Bhubaneswar. Following the committee’s directives, the children have been shifted to the Ruchika Open Shelter for further care and rehabilitation.

The rescue operation involved key participation from Ruchika representatives Harapriya Pati, Ghanshyam Bhoi, and Ajay Kumar Maharana, along with Childline officials Deepak Kumar Pradhan and Tapaswini.

Highlighting the illegality of trafficking children from other districts for labour, Ruchika’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Benudhar Senapati confirmed that the organization will lodge separate FIRs at Mancheswar and Saheed Nagar police stations on Friday.

Authorities have reiterated their commitment to taking strict action against those involved in child labour and trafficking, terming such acts as serious criminal offenses.