Kawardha/Raipur
As many as 13 children belonging to the Baiga tribe, classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), were on Thursday rescued from alleged bonded labour in Chhattisgarh’s Kabirdham district during a major crackdown on a suspected child trafficking network.
Police said 10 persons, including alleged traffickers and employers linked to cattle-rearing units, have been arrested in connection with the case. The rescue operation was jointly conducted by Kabirdham police, Childline, the Women and Child Development Department and the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA), an organisation working on child rights and child protection.
Police said, the children, aged between 8 and 15 years, were taken from remote forest villages around seven to eight months ago after their families were allegedly lured with promises of money and better living conditions.
Kabirdham Superintendent of Police Dharmendra Singh Chhavai said the operation was launched after police received specific inputs regarding child labour and trafficking activities in the area. “After we received the tip-off, we launched the operation. Thirteen children aged between 8 and 15 years, who were forced into bonded labour, were rescued from different villages. An FIR has been registered and eight persons, including two traffickers and six employers, have been arrested so far,” he said.
Singh further said AVA had tracked the movement of the suspects for nearly two weeks before sharing crucial information with the authorities. “As soon as we received information, teams were mobilised. The children were found living in highly exploitative conditions and forced into labour. An FIR has been registered and efforts are underway to identify and arrest others linked to the network,” the SP stated.
Officials said the rescue teams initially located four children at one cattle-rearing facility. Based on information provided by the rescued minors, police carried out raids at several additional locations and rescued more children from four separate sites in the district, including areas near the Kanha National Park region.
The children reportedly told authorities that one of the accused, Ravi Yadav, had convinced their parents to send them away with assurances of financial support. Police said the minors were then forced to graze cattle and care for livestock in isolated cattle-rearing units.
Investigators revealed that the children worked for over 10 hours daily — from around 6 am to 9 am and again from noon until evening. Their families were allegedly paid between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 per month, while the children themselves received no wages.
Police identified the arrested accused as Ravi Yadav, Ramu Yadav, Badhi Yadav, Kanhaiya Yadav, Ramphal Yadav, Ram Bihari Yadav and Rupesh Yadav, while the identities of other arrested persons were yet to be officially detailed.
A case has been registered at Bhoramdeo police station under provisions related to human trafficking, bonded labour, child labour and the Juvenile Justice Act. Further investigation is underway to identify others associated with the alleged trafficking network.
Senior Director of AVA Manish Sharma said, “The rescue highlights the growing vulnerability of children from marginalised tribal communities to trafficking networks. These networks prey on extreme poverty and lure families with small amounts of cash and false promises.”
All rescued children have been shifted to child care institutions and are being produced before the Child Welfare Committee for rehabilitation and further legal procedures, officials said.
