Five children forced into bonded labour in a sheep pen were rescued by a team of officials at Metathur near Tirukovilur in the district on Wednesday.
The children — aged between 12 and 17 — belonging to the Irula tribe, were rescued after the matter was brought to the notice of the district authorities by the National Adivasi Solidarity Council (NASC).
Inspection held
Tirukovilur Sub-Collector T. Charusree inspected the sheep pen and confirmed that the children were engaged as bonded labourers.
Ms. Charusree said the children, hailing from Tirukovilur, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai, were made to graze sheep belonging to Parasuraman and Gopi of Sivaganga district.
The owners frequently shifted the children to different places and engaged them for grazing sheep.
Arrangements have been made to send them to their native places, Ms. Charusree added.
According to K. Krishnan, secretary of the NASC, the children were forced to work as bonded labourers for repaying the loan amount taken by their families.
The team from NASC had identified 12 children in the sheep pen.
However, only five children were rescued.
A release certificate, based on which each would receive an initial amount of ₹20,000 from the Department of Labour towards their rehabilitation, will be given, said Mr. Krishnan.
Search on
The police are on the lookout for the owners to identify the whereabouts of the remaining children.
The police have registered a case under sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, as well as Section 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016.