Special Correspondent
NewsBits.in
Harda: Five minor boys from Umaria district who were allegedly being trafficked for manual labour to Mumbai by two men from the same district were ‘rescued’ on Monday.
The boys were saved following intervention of child welfare committee (CWC), Harda.
The boys – aged between 15 and 17 years – and resident of village Jhal under Indwar police station of Umaria district were being taken to Mumbai on promise of good living by Anil Yadav and Mohan Lal, also from Umaria.
The boys were spotted by some alert people aboard the Punjab Mail (from Amrtisar to Mumbai) between Bhopal and Harda stations. They then called up Harda CWC chairman Ved Vishnoi whom they knew.
Vishnoi then coordinated with Harda police and Child Line and the duo and the five boys were brought down at Harda Railway Station.
“The police have registered case under sections of child trafficking and the matter would be transferred to Umaria Police as accused and victims are from there. The boys have been temporarily handed over to Harda Child Line, but would be handed over to Umaria CWC for further action,” Vishnoi told NewsBits.in.
Vishnoi said that the boys are from extremely poor background and the accused had lured them with good living and money in Mumbai.
Taking away groups of young people from poor families including minor boys with lure of good living conditions and money in bigger cities and giving them over to manual labour contractors is a common practice in Madhya Pradesh villages, activist Sachin Jain has said.
Later, these people including the minors have to work in very poor conditions and are often not paid the promised wages. Also they are not allowed to return to their villages for long duration.
In most cases the minor boys go along with such ‘agents’ willingly with consent of their parents, because they live in extremely critical conditions as it is in their villages. The situation is accentuated due to the current drought conditions, he said.
