Gujarat Police Rescue 84 Child Labourers in 14-Day Statewide Crackdown

AHMEDABAD :  In a major offensive against child labour and exploitation, Gujarat Police have rescued 84 children from hazardous and exploitative working conditions and booked 26 accused persons in 16 criminal cases during the first 14 days of the statewide “Operation Childhood Freedom” campaign. The initiative, launched under the guidance of Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, seeks to ensure that every child is in school and not at work.

The month-long campaign has intensified inspections across industrial hubs, textile units, hotels, workshops and small-scale establishments where minors are suspected to be employed illegally. Officials say the operation is not merely a law enforcement exercise but a comprehensive mission to rescue, rehabilitate and reintegrate children into mainstream education.

One of the significant actions was carried out by Kamrej Police in Surat, where a raid at Jay Ambe Textiles led to the rescue of two minor boys allegedly forced to work under exploitative conditions. Investigators found that the children were being paid just ₹200 per day and made to work from 8 am to 7 pm with only a one-hour lunch break. Police also alleged that the minors were forced to continue working even when they resisted.

The employer has been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

Director General of Police G.S. Malik said the operation is focused on both enforcement and rehabilitation. “Under Operation Childhood Freedom, 84 child labourers have been rescued, 16 offences registered, and 26 accused booked in the first 14 days. Alongside enforcement, 67 children have already been rehabilitated and 160 awareness programmes have been conducted across Gujarat,” he said.

Additional Director General of Police, CID Crime (Women Cell), Ajay Choudhary said many of the rescued children were migrants from Bihar and Rajasthan, indicating the presence of organised labour networks and possible trafficking vulnerabilities. “The campaign is structured in four phases—from identifying hotspots and rescuing children to rehabilitation, school enrolment and prosecution of offenders,” he said.

Officials said the operation is now expanding its focus from individual employers to contractors and supply chains involved in sourcing child labour. Authorities aim to inspect over 50,000 locations, gather 10,000 intelligence inputs and rescue more than 5,000 child labourers during the campaign.

With rehabilitation, education and strict legal action forming the backbone of the initiative, Gujarat Police say the message is clear: no child should be deprived of education for labour.