Sixteen child labourers rescued from Rajkot jewellery units

Rajkot

Sixteen children and five adults were rescued from two makeshift imitation jewellery units in Rajkot, Gujarat, where they were allegedly forced to work over 10 hours daily and subjected to abuse, police said. The victims, all from West Bengal, were reportedly beaten by the owner, Ajitmaula Ajmatmaula, if they failed to meet work demands or disobeyed him. Ajmatmaula, from Purba Bardhaman district in West Bengal, was arrested on June 6 following the rescue operation.

He has been charged under sections 118 (assault) and 146 (unlawful compulsory labour) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with the Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Medical reports confirmed physical abuse, including one case where an object was forcibly inserted into a child’s rectum.

A police raid, based on a tip-off, uncovered 14 minors and five adults working under harsh conditions on Morbi Road. Ajmatmaula brought these victims from West Bengal with parental consent and paid them Rs 8,000 monthly. All rescued individuals are now housed in a childcare home under official supervision.