Minors Rescued from Hazardous Factory Conditions

Nine underage individuals, including four girls and five boys, were recently rescued from perilous working conditions at a food processing facility in Butibori MIDC. The operation, initiated after a complaint from a social activist, revealed that the minors were allegedly compelled to operate heavy machinery and were exposed to hazardous chemicals, posing significant health risks.

Further investigations uncovered extremely poor and unhygienic living conditions at the factory. Many of the rescued children had been brought from other districts and states, including Chhattisgarh, fueling concerns about potential trafficking. Authorities have filed charges against the company's HR manager, Shashi Nair, and three other individuals under the Juvenile Justice Act and relevant penal codes for these grave violations.

This rescue operation highlighted numerous breaches of labor laws, including the absence of formal appointment orders and fixed working hours. The District Women and Child Development Department, along with child protection units and local police, led the intervention. The rescued children are being processed by the Child Welfare Committee for rehabilitation, and broader inspections are planned across factories in the Butibori industrial area.