Ahmedabad, Sep 6 (PTI) The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has rescued three minor boys, one of whom was kidnapped in 2022 and allegedly forced into child labour, and arrested a contractor and a cattle herder, an official said on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, police teams conducted a raid in Nadisar village and rescued the missing teen along with two other minors aged 16 and 17, who were also found forced into farming and cattle rearing, the official said.
The two accused have been identified as Dinesh Oad (47), a labour contractor and cattle herder Bharat Bharwad (35), both residents of Nadisar village near Godhra in Panchmahal district, Assistant Commissioner of Police Bharat Patel said.
The case dates back to 2022, when the mother of a 14-year-old boy filed a kidnapping complaint at Sola police station after her son went missing from the city.
According to police, Oad allegedly abducted the boy while he was alone at night near the Hebatpur area and took him to Nadisar village, where he sold him to Bharwad for Rs 10,000.
“Bharat Bharwad forced the child to work in his cattle-rearing business and do domestic chores,” ACP Patel told reporters.
He added that the boy tried to escape on a couple of occasions but was caught and severely beaten by Bharwad, forcing him to remain in captivity.
The rescue came during an ongoing drive conducted by the Crime Branch and its Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) to trace missing and kidnapped children.
“During our operation, we received information through human intelligence regarding the accused. Based on this crucial information, the child was rescued from the location,” Patel said at a press conference.
Police also found two other minor boys being allegedly forced into labour at the same location, and rescued them both and handed them over to their parents.
One of the two boys is from Nava Nadisar village, while the other is from Chhani in Vadodara, the official said.
Patel said the rescued teenager’s father is mentally unwell and his mother is no longer alive. He has, therefore, been handed over to his paternal uncle.
The two arrested accused will be handed over to Sola police for further investigation, the ACP said. PTI PJT ARU
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