Employers accuse child labourers of theft to dodge legal action

A MAJORITY OF KIDS TRAFFICKED TO METROS ARE TRIBAL GIRLS, WHO ARE SUBJECTED TO PHYSICAL AND SEXUAL TORTURE

RANCHI: With the government and activists tightening the screws on those employing children, these employers, often in metros like Delhi and Mumbai, have begun accusing these workers of theft in order to avoid legal action.

Many of these child workers are victims of human trafficking, and activists say that the police suffer from a lack of sensitisation to deal with trafficking and child abuse cases, compounding the issue further.

Jharkhand inspector general (organized crime) Sampat Meena said there were strong possibilities that these employers were using this measure to protect themselves.

“It is very much possible that employers were using this tactic to protect themselves. The police, however, should follow the Juvenile Justice Act whenever we are dealing with matters related to children, even if they are guilty,” said Meena.

One such incident came to light on Wednesday night in Delhi, when a 14-year-old boy from Simdega was allegedly taken into custody by the police on charges of theft. The boy, according to his sister, returned from Delhi with around ’70,000 — accumulated over a period of three years — but his employer lodged an FIR and the boy was taken into police custody charges of theft.

“The police needs to be sensitive in such cases. They cannot arrest a child even if he is accused of theft. They should be first produced to the child welfare committee,” NGO worker Baijnath Kumar said.

“The police should take action against the complainant here, since he forcibly kept a child as a bonded labourer at home. The employer should also be charged of trafficking since the child was originally from Jharkhand,” he added.

Of the children trafficked to the metros, a majority are tribal girls, who are subjected to physical and sexual torture by their employers and agents. Delhi-based NGO Shakti Vahini, which has rescued at least 200 Jharkhand girls from the national capital since 2014, highlighted the plight of these girls trapped in modern day slavery.

“Employers readily lodge complaints of theft against their domestic help in Delhi. They try and get the child arrested to save themselves from legal action,” said Rishi Kant, founding member of Shakti Vahini.

Sanjay Mishra, member of state child labour commission said that in many cases employers lodged complaints against children under pressure of placement agents.

“If the child flees, the placement agents threaten the employers that they would charge them with rape, abduction etc. Many employers lodge complaints of theft against the child to protect themselves,” said Mishra.