Child labourers freed from employer’s house in Mangalore

Child labourers freed from employer’s house in Mangalore

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, June 3: The Barkhe police and the Child labour department conducted a joint raid on the house of Shoukat, who resides at Sunny Apartment behind Hotel Maharaja on June 3, Thursday. They had received a tip off that two children aged 13 and 12 have been working in that house from the past 1 and 3 years, respectively. 

 

 

 

 

 

Siddiqa (13), one of the children, hails from Chickmagalur. She is the daughter of Maqbul and Akbar and has been working in Shoukat’s house for the past one year. Recently, she visited her parents. The last child of 10 children, Siddiqa has studied till Std VI in Bangalore and has no desire to study any further. She was brought to Shoukat’s house at Ullal and later shifted to his present residence. Siddiqa washes utensils, sweeps, and swabs Shoukat’s house

Shivkumar (12) hails from Manjeshwar Hosangady and is the son of Ullegowda and Jayamma, who are employed at Shoukat’s plywood factory in Manjanady. When Shivakumar was in Std II, he came to the factory with his parents. Later, Shoukat brought him to his house with his parents’ permission. He has been working for Shoukat since 3 years. 

Child Labour Department Officer D. G. Nagesh said that the children will be taken to Prajna Counselling Centre, where they will be educated under Sarva Shikshana Abhiyan. On June 4, Friday, they will be taken to Wenlock Hospital, where the dentist and the orthopedic will conduct tests to determine their actual age and provide certificates to the authorities concerned. The children will be permitted to continue their studies if medical tests prove that they are below 14 years of age, he said. 

Shoukat will be fined Rs 20,000 as per the order of the Supreme Court and a criminal case will be lodged against him as per the directives of the First Class Judicial Magistrate Court, he said. 

The raid was conducted by D. G. Nagesh, a labour department official; Gopala Gowda, the divisional labour officer; Krishnamma and Satyanarayana, the senior labour officer; and Manohar of the labour department. Lady police constables Nethravathi, Shambhavi, and Usha were also present.