Thane packaging company owner booked for employing minors as labourers

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In a significant crackdown on child labour, a 49-year-old man has been booked for allegedly employing children as labourers at his packaging company in Maharashtra's Thane district. The police registered a case after a joint raid conducted by the labour department, women and child welfare authorities, and local police on Friday.

According to an official from the Narpoli police station, the raid took place at four different shops owned by the accused in Vehale village, located in the Bhiwandi area of Thane. The company owner, who operates a packaging business, was found to have employed several minors at his premises. During the raid, the authorities discovered eight minor girls and one minor boy engaged in packing electronic goods, a task that they were forced to perform under questionable conditions.

The authorities acted after receiving a tip-off and a subsequent investigation. The presence of the minor workers at the company raised immediate concerns over child exploitation and illegal child labour. As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, employing minors in such conditions is a criminal offence, and the police moved swiftly to file an FIR against the accused. The packaging company, where the minors were discovered working, has now come under investigation, with the authorities looking into how long the children had been employed and the nature of their work.

The accused has been charged under the relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act, and the police are now working to ensure that the minors are provided with the necessary protection and care. They are also working in collaboration with child welfare organisations to ensure that the children are returned to their families or placed in rehabilitation centres, depending on their circumstances.

Similar case happened in the past where offences have been registered against four persons in Maharashtra's Thane and Palghar districts for allegedly employing children and practising bonded labour. The cases were registered at Padgha police station in Thane and Jawhar police station in Palghar on Monday and no arrests have been made so far, an official said.

According to the police, the case registered in Jawhar was against Deoram Kandadkar and Pundalik Kandadkar, who had allegedly taken two sisters, aged six and eight, to Akole in Ahmednagar and employed them to graze sheep and goats.