Police rescue 160 children from child labour

Cuddalore, July 27. (UNI): The police on Wednesday rescued about 160 children from a Nagappatinam bound "Cholan Express" at railway station here this afternoon.
The children aged between ten to 14, were said to be brought by a private contractor from West Bengal to work in a Myladduthurai ONGC plant.
Police said, on a tip off received from Chennai Child Line office on Wednesday morning, the Child Welfare Committee informed Cuddalore Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar that three general boggies of the Cholan Express were carrying the children to make them work in the plant. When the train reached the station at around 1330 hrs, the police along with railway officials rescued the children. On questioning, the children, who knew only Bengali and a little of Hindi, informed the police that two persons were taking them in the train and they managed to escape when they saw the police. The children said the agents paid money to their family inorder to bring them here to work for a private contractor, who had taken up contract work with ONGC plant.

Later, the children were sheltered at a marriage hall at Tirupatiratpuliyur here.
Police had informed the Child Welfare authorities concerned.
A search was on for the two agents, who brought the children.
Co-passengers in the train said the two persons, who looked like North Indians were accompanying the children, police added.

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