From placement agency seven children rescued

New Delhi: As many as seven children were rescued from a placement agency in South East Delhi's Govindpuri on Tuesday. The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) said that the rescue was the result of continuous surveillance on the agency.

According to DCPCR, two girls, aged around 14, were rescued by Madhya Pradesh state commission in 2018 from Indore. The minors claimed that they were forced into child labour by a Delhi based placement agency. Later, the Madhya Pradesh state commission informed DCPCR. "After receiving the information we kept continuous surveillance on the agency," said Roop Sudesh Vimal, member DCPCR.

To take action against the agency, Roop Sudesh Vimal on March 5 wrote to Delhi Police mentioning that the girls were working at a doctor's house.

"Therefore you are directed to take appropriate action and submit the detailed action taken report," claimed the letter accessed by the Millennium Post newspaper.

On Tuesday, DCPCR with Delhi Police reached the placement agency and rescued five girls aged (8-14) and two boys (aged 10-12) mostly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

"They were kept in two rooms. We have also seized several registers containing details of other children," said Roop adding that they are verifying the license of the placement agency.

DCPCR official further informed that before placing the minors, the agency used to give them health kits containing soaps and other items.

"We suspect that in the register, the ages of children were changed. We have recovered several phones too," said an official. He further said that the human trafficking angle is also being probed.

NGO Mission Mukti Foundation helped the commission in the rescue operation.

Delhi Police is further investigating the case.