Bengaluru Anti-Child Labour Drive Rescues 114 Children, 1,212 Premises Inspected

More than 100 children allegedly engaged in labour across Bengaluru were rescued on Saturday during a major anti-child labour drive, with police inspecting 1,212 establishments across the city's East and Northeast divisions. The operation comes amid intensified enforcement in Karnataka against the illegal employment of children in markets, hotels, garages, construction sites and other informal workplaces.

The drive was conducted by teams from the East and Northeast divisions of Bengaluru Police following directions from City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh. The operation aimed to identify children working illegally, rescue them from potentially exploitative conditions and initiate legal action against those employing them.

In the East division, police deployed 85 teams headed by officers to conduct inspections across all police station limits. The teams checked 917 premises, including godowns, marketplaces, hotels, lodges, bakeries, bus stops, railway stations, apartments and construction sites. A total of 71 children allegedly engaged in labour were rescued.

In the Northeast division, police inspected approximately 295 locations, including garages, marts, repair shops, hotels, markets, bars and restaurants. Another 43 children were identified and rescued, taking the total number rescued in Saturday's operation to 114.

Police said legal action has already been initiated against people who employed the children. Their ages are being verified, and officials said additional FIRs could be registered after the verification process. Further enquiry is also underway against establishments found to have employed child labourers.

The crackdown comes amid a broader enforcement effort in Karnataka. According to the Karnataka Economic Survey 2025-26, authorities conducted 27,287 inspections under the child and adolescent labour law up to December 2025. During the period, 518 child labourers were identified and rehabilitated, while 147 cases were registered in courts and 34 convictions were secured.

The state has also witnessed repeated operations in Bengaluru. Earlier this week, police and Labour Department officials rescued 19 children from Yeshwanthpur APMC Yard, leading to the arrest of four shop owners and registration of cases.

Under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, employment of children below 14 years is prohibited, while adolescents aged 14 to 18 cannot be employed in hazardous occupations.