Kota: At least 107 children rescued in anti-human trafficking drive 'Operation Milap'

Kota: At least 107 children were rescued from four cities of Kota division within five days of Operation Milap - a special drive by anti-human trafficking cell of the Rajasthan police. The one-month-long special drive was kicked off on 15 May. The drive aims at rescuing missing children, child labourers and minors engaged in begging. The highest numbers of child labourers were rescued from Kota city in the last five days, said Dharmraj, in-charge of Anti-Human Trafficking Cell. Sixty children, including five girls, were rescued from different areas in Kota, he said. [caption id=“attachment_3461626” align=“alignleft” width=“385”] Representative image. Reuters[/caption] One of the five girls was begging when she was rescued. The other children were rescued from Udoghnagar, Borekheda and Kunadhi areas where they were working at Dhabas, mechanic shops and bangle manufacturing units, the circle in-charge said. Six FIRs have been registered against the owners and proprietors of the firms where the children were forced to work, he said. The rescued children have been sent to various children shelter homes. “Some of the rescued children were sent back home with their parents,” said Bhupendra Singh, coordinator of the Child Line here, an NGO said. Meanwhile, 25 child labourers, including one girl, were rescued from Jhalawar city who were engaged in brick kilns and sweet shops, said Praveen Vyas, circle in-charge at the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell Jhalawar. Seven of the 25 rescued children were missing, he said, adding five FIRs were lodged against the owners of the shops and brick kilns. In Bundi, 17 child labourers, including two girls, were rescued since 15 May, said Kaniz Faitama, circle in-charge at the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell, Bundi. Four FIRs were registered against the owners of the units where these children were forced to work, she said. The rescued girls were forced to work from early morning at 4 till 5 in the evening and were paid Rs 400 per day. In Baran, five children have been rescued in the last five days. Two FIRs have been lodged in this connection against the proprietors of the shop where they were working, an official said.