The first-ever case under the Bonded labour System (Abolition Act), 1976 was registered at a police station in the national Capital after a nine-year-old boy was rescued from his employer’s bungalow in South Delhi’s Sainik Farms.
Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, South District, Chinmoy Biswal said a case has been registered at Neb Sarai Police station against the employer.
The victim in his complaint alleged that he was kept in poor conditions and made to work for long hours. He also alleged that the daughter of the employer used to thrash him and he was made to do all the domestic work.
According to a senior police officer, the victim, who is from Mahoba district in Uttar Pradesh, was taken to the employer by his uncle a year ago and had been working in his employer’s house since then.
The police officer added that the victim’s family had taken a huge loan from the employer but since they could not pay the money back, they were compelled to employ their son at the man’s house.
“From dusting to sweeping to washing clothes and even cleaning shoes, I was made to do all the work. I had to work from around 10 am to 1 pm in the afternoon and again from 5 pm to 10 pm at night. Two people Abdulla and Taniya stay at the house. The daughter of the employers used to thrash me a lot,” alleged the victim.
A local person in the area got to know about the plight of the boy and informed the Butterfly NGO, which went with a team to the house of the accused and rescued the boy on 20th January. Since then he has been staying in the custody of the NGO.
The Child Welfare Committee was also informed and then the boy was taken to the Sub-divisional Magistrate, Saket to give his statement.
“Based on the statement of the victim an FIR under section 16 of the Bonded labour System (Abolition) Act 1973, sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice ( care and protection of children) Act 2000 and section 323 (Voluntarily causing hurt) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Neb Sarai police station. So far no arrests have been made and further investigation in the case is on,” said the police official.