Three men to face trial for trafficking seven boys to Kurla workshops in 2019
A special court in Mumbai on Thursday cleared the way for a trial against three men accused of trafficking seven minor boys and forcing them into bonded labour at eateries and goldsmith workshops in Kurla in 2019. Special Judge G.G. Bhansali of the Special Court under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act framed the charges after the three accused pleaded not guilty and sought a trial.
The court framed multiple charges against the accused, including human trafficking, wrongful confinement, forced labour, bonded labour, economic exploitation of children, and offences under the SC/ST Act.
According to the prosecution, the three men acted with a common intention. They allegedly trafficked the seven minor boys to Mumbai from their home states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand. Once in the city, the boys were kept confined for over 10 days while being compelled to work at the Kurla eateries and goldsmith workshops.
The prosecution further alleged that the children were employed with the specific intention of keeping them in bondage. Their wages were reportedly withheld and used by the accused, which amounted to economic exploitation and bonded labour. Because two of the rescued boys belonged to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, the accused also face additional charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The legal proceedings stem from a rescue operation conducted in August 2019. The action was initiated after the parents of one of the boys approached authorities in Rajasthan, alleging that their son had been trafficked to Mumbai.
Acting on this complaint, the Mumbai Police and the child rights organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan conducted coordinated raids at the eateries and goldsmith workshops in Kurla to rescue the seven children.
Investigators alleged that the boys had originally been lured to Mumbai with promises of employment. However, once they arrived, they were instead made to work long hours in cramped conditions, denied their wages, and prevented from leaving their workplaces. Following the successful rescue operation, the Kurla police registered an FIR and later filed a chargesheet against the three accused, leading to the framing of charges on Thursday.
