Bengaluru Police rescued 529 children found working at commercial establishments, industrial areas and other locations across the city during a special operation that involved surprise inspections at 6,076 sites, officials said.
The operation was conducted on Saturday by special teams comprising police personnel and Labour Inspectors across various police station jurisdictions. Police registered 105 cases against shop owners and other employers for allegedly engaging children in labour.
“During the operation, a total of 529 children who were found working at these establishments were rescued,” Bengaluru police said in a statement on Sunday. The cases were registered under provisions of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act and the Juvenile Justice Act.
Police said further investigation was in progress. The operation covered commercial establishments, industrial areas and other workplaces across the city, making it one of the largest reported enforcement drives against child labour in Bengaluru in recent months.
The West division recorded the highest number of rescued children at 103. It was followed by the East division with 74, North with 66, Central with 63 and South with 52. The figures released by the police indicate that children were found working across multiple parts of the city rather than being concentrated in a single police division.
The Central Crime Branch registered the highest number of cases, with 26. East recorded 18 cases, North-East 17 and the West division 15, according to the police statement. The case figures reflect the action taken against employers during the operation, while the investigation into individual cases remains ongoing.
The drive followed a direction from Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar after he came across cases involving child labour at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee Yard in Yashwanthpur, Bengaluru, a week earlier. The direction led to the formation of special teams involving the police and Labour Department officials.
The operation places responsibility for enforcement across two parts of the city administration: the police, which registers cases and investigates alleged offences, and Labour Department officials, who participated in the inspections. The legal action cited by police includes provisions governing the employment of children and protections under juvenile justice legislation.
The police statement did not provide details on the ages of the rescued children, the establishments where they were found, their places of origin, or the rehabilitation and follow-up arrangements made after the rescue. It also did not state how many employers were detained or whether any establishments were sealed.
Further investigation into the 105 registered cases is in progress, according to Bengaluru Police. The authorities have not announced a separate timeline for completing the investigations or disclosed details of additional inspections after the special operation.
