Y Navin Kumar
Port Blair, Jan 16: A joint team of various government bodies today conducted a raid against Child Labour and rescued a minor girl from Prem Nagar area.
As per reports, a complaint was lodged at the A&N UT Commission for Protection of Child Rights about a suspected child labour case in a house situated at Premnagar last Friday, following which the team of UTCPCR A&N Islands, Mrs Rubina Siddique immediately rushed to the spot and had a chat with the girl who, at that point of time, was alone at the house with another maid.
As per sources, as the owner of the house was at Havelock on leave, the team returned back but kept a good eye on the minor girl.
According to sources, after the house owner returned the UTCPCR team Mrs Rubina Khatib Siddiqui along with Mrs Geeta Raj with support of the Labour Inspector and Aberdeen Police Unit reached the house at Prem Nagar and took the custody of the minor and handed the girl to the Child Welfare Commission following many difficulties as the house owner was unwilling to handover the child.
However as per highly placed sources there is still confusion over the age of the girl and therefore the team will now be doing a bone age test of the girl.
Talking to Andaman Sheekha, a police officer in the case of anonymity said that if the girl is found minor a case will definitely get registered against the house owner under section Child Labour and Juvenile Justice Act.
It is learnt that the girl has been sent to Balika Niketan, Dollygunj and efforts are on by the Child Line, NGO to shift the minor girl to her hometown, Bihar.
