Chennai: Acting on a tip-off from International Justice Mission, police rescued 61 boys from five different jewellery making units on Walltax Road, near Central staion.
Seventeen children between the 10-14 years, 35 children between 15 -18 years and eight adults between 19-22 years and one worker aged 26 were rescued by the police in the surprise investigation conducted at the five different locations simultaneously on Friday. All of them are from West Bengal.
The children have been taken to Government Children's Home for Boys, Royapuram, where are they currently being enquired by officials from the Child Welfare Committee and labour department. Release certificates will be issued by the RDO once the age of the boys are ascertained, said Santhosh, media relations manager, IJM. “The children were working in hazardous environments. They all carry Aadhaar cards with them. We are yet to find out if they are real or fake,” said S.Maglina, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Crime Against Women and Children, who initiated the rescue operation along with Assistant Commissioner Rayapan.
The owners of the jewellery making units are still absconding and action is yet to be taken.
