SHRC rescues 7 child labourers

The Commission, assisted by the Labour department and Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s food inspectors, raided the premises run by a person identified as Stephen, 35, who produced sweets under the name of AJ Food Products in a storeroom in Gottigere, off Bannerghatta Road.

A spokesperson for the Commission said the food items were produced in unhygienic conditions and the children were forced to work under extremely harsh conditions through day and night.

At 12 noon on Friday, the Commission raided the place and found that the children lived in a small room above the work space along with Stephen and his family.

The children are from Tamil Nadu and their parents visited frequently to collect the children’s wages.

The seven boys – Raja Dorai, Sharath Kumar, Satish, Prakash, Balakrishna, Balan and Kumaran –– have been handed over to the Labour department and will be sent back to their homes.

A case has been booked by the Labour department under the Juvenile Justice Act and the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. The Hulimavu police have also registered a case.

Even though all the six children were from Tamil Nadu, SHRC officials said there was no indication of this being a racket where children were being supplied from neighbouring states to work in Bangalore.

Welder falls to death

A 20-year-old man fell to his death from the 19th floor of an apartment complex in Electronics City on Friday.

Ravi, a welder by profession, was working at Ajmira Apartments when the accident occurred.

Electronics City police said the building was under construction and Ravi slipped and fell to his death.