Operation Smile-XI: Rachakonda Commissionerate rescues 1,051 children

Hyderabad: Under the Operation Smile-XI programme aimed at tracing missing children and identifying potential child labour, the Rachakonda Commissionerate rescued over 1,051 children in January. “As part of this operation, total nine teams were formed division wise in Rachakonda Commissionerate consisting one SI and four PCs including one WPC along with AHTU Team, She Team, Special Branch Team members. They conducted operations to rescue the children from January 1, 2025 to January 31, 2025. During this period, total 1,051 children were rescued in Rachakonda Commissionerate limits,” said Rachakonda police commissioner G Sudheer Babu.

The teams rescued boys 512 and girls 28 within State and out of the State, the teams rescued 473 boys and 38 girls. The teams conducted rescue operations on various industries, companies and other establishments and produced the child before the concerned CWC.

According to the police, during this period, FIRs were registered in 464 cases, and GD entries were made in 410 cases under relevant sections of the IPC, Child and Adolescent Labour Prohibition & Regulation Act-1986 (CALPR), and Juvenile Justice Act. These cases were filed against employers who engaged minor children in various forms of labour. A total of 1,051 respondents were arrested, and the children were rescued from different workplaces.

The investigations revealed that employers exploited child labourers, making them work for more than nine hours while paying them meager wages. Since local labourers refused to accept such conditions, company owners resorted to bringing laborers, including children, from other States and forcing them into inhumane working conditions—violating labor laws.