Chandigarh, Jan 9 (PTI) A man who allegedly forced a 15-year-old boy to work as a bonded labourer in Haryana has been arrested, police said on Friday.
The boy, a native of Kishanganj district in Bihar, was allegedly separated from his companions at Bahadurgarh Railway Station in Haryana last year, they said.
He then met an unknown man who took him to a dairy farm, where the child was compelled to work as a bonded labourer and suffered a severe injury while cutting fodder in a machine, police said.
The incident came to light in August, when the boy, despite his injuries, managed to reach Nuh in Haryana, where a teacher found him, provided medical assistance at a local health centre and informed the police.
After receiving information, the police immediately initiated proceedings under the Child Labour Act and other relevant sections of law.
According to Haryana Police, after four months of sustained and intensive investigation and technical surveillance, the Government Railway Police, Haryana, arrested the accused, Anil.
“At the time of the incident, the child was in a state of psychological trauma and was unable to provide clear details about himself or the accused, making the investigation extremely challenging. Considering the seriousness of the case, Superintendent of Police, Railways Haryana, Nikita Gahlot formed a special investigation team comprising cyber experts and experienced officers from multiple districts,” a Haryana Police statement said.
The investigation team conducted an extensive search across more than 200 villages spread over a 200-km radius, covering Kaithal, Jind, Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Panipat, Nuh and Palwal in Haryana; areas of Delhi including Narela, Nangloi and Shahdara; and Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Aligarh and Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.
During the inquiry, the National Human Rights Commission directed that the child’s statement be recorded again under the supervision of specialised experts.
Anil was arrested from the Gautam Buddh Nagar region of Uttar Pradesh, where he had been working at a dairy and constantly shifting locations to avoid being caught.
After his arrest, Anil was produced before a court and subsequently sent to Jhajjar district jail, police said. PTI SUN SMV HIG HIG
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