Kurla court clears trial for three men accused of trafficking seven minor boys
On Thursday, a special court in Mumbai cleared the way for the trial of three men accused of trafficking seven minor boys and forcing them into bonded labour at eateries and goldsmith workshops in Kurla.
Special Judge G.G. Bhansali of the Special Court under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act framed charges against the accused after they pleaded not guilty.
The court framed charges of human trafficking, wrongful confinement, forced labour, bonded labour, economic exploitation of children, and offences under the SC/ST Act. The three accused men pleaded not guilty and sought a trial.
According to the prosecution, the three accused acted with a common intention to traffic the seven minor boys from Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand to Mumbai in 2019. The boys were kept confined for over 10 days and compelled to work under cramped conditions for long hours at eateries and goldsmith workshops in the Kurla area.
The prosecution alleged that the children were employed with the intention of keeping them in bondage. Their wages were allegedly withheld and used by the accused, which amounted to economic exploitation and bonded labour. Additionally, because two of the boys belonged to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act were also applied.
The case originated from a rescue operation conducted in August 2019. The parents of one of the boys had approached authorities in Rajasthan, alleging that their son had been trafficked to Mumbai.
Following the complaint, the Mumbai Police and the child rights organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan conducted raids at eateries and goldsmith workshops in Kurla, where they rescued the seven children. Investigators stated that the boys had been lured to Mumbai with promises of employment but were prevented from leaving their workplaces. Following the rescue, the Kurla police registered an FIR and subsequently filed a chargesheet against the three accused.
