Kothagudem police rescues 58 child labourers in Operation Smile-XII: SP Rohith Raju

Under Operation Smile-XII, police in Kothagudem conducted month-long raids in January 2026 and rescued 58 child labourers. As many as 36 cases were registered against employers, and the children were reunited with their families after counselling

Kothagudem: As part of Operation Smile-XII aimed at eradicating child labour, raids were conducted from January 1 to January 31, 2026, across the district by five special teams in various industries and business establishments.

During the month-long raids, as many as 58 child labourers were rescued. They included nine girls and 49 boys. Among them, four girls and 27 boys belonged to other States. The police registered 36 cases against the employers who employed the children, Superintendent of Police B Rohith Raju informed.

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The children were safely handed over to their parents. Counselling was subsequently provided to the children’s parents. If anyone finds child labourers, they should immediately call Dial-100 or 1098 to inform the police, he said.

DCRB DSP Mallaiah Swamy served as the nodal officer for Operation Smile-XII. The SP commended She Team Inspector Ramu, RSI Ramadevi, SIs Vijaya, Sathish, Shravan, Raghavaiah, Sammi Reddy, Lakshman, ASI Nagaiah, and constables Mallikamba and Rambabu for their work in Operation Smile and rescuing child labourers.