Thirteen children from the Baiga tribe, categorised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group, have been rescued from bonded labour in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district, with eight persons arrested in connection with the case, police said on Thursday.
The rescue operation was carried out on Wednesday following a tip-off, leading to the arrest of two alleged traffickers and six employers involved in the exploitation of the minors.
Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Chhavai said the accused had lured parents of children from Thuhapani village in the Bhoramdeo area with small sums of money before taking the minors to different villages for forced labour.
“After we received the tip-off, we launched the operation. Thirteen children aged between 8 and 15 years, who were forced into bonded labour, were rescued from different villages. An FIR has been registered and eight persons, including two traffickers and six employers, have been arrested so far,” he said.
According to another police official, the children revealed that they had been taken away around six to seven months ago after one of the accused, Ravi Yadav, persuaded their parents with promises of money.
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They were then made to graze cattle and care for livestock, working long hours from 6 am to 9 am and again from noon to 7 pm daily. While their parents allegedly received between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 per month, the children themselves were not paid any wages.
Police identified seven of the arrested accused as Ravi Yadav, Ramu Yadav, Badhi Yadav, Kanhaiya Yadav, Ramphal Yadav, Ram Bihari Yadav and Rupesh Yadav.
A case has been registered at Bhoramdeo police station under provisions related to human trafficking, bonded labour, child labour and the Juvenile Justice Act. Further investigation is under way.
Manish Sharma, senior director of the Association for Voluntary Action, said the rescue underlined the vulnerability of children from marginalised tribal communities.
“The rescue highlights the growing vulnerability of children from marginalised tribal communities to trafficking networks. These networks prey on extreme poverty and lure families with small amounts of cash and false promises,” he said, while also praising the prompt police response after the NGO alerted authorities.
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