Sexual harassment in brick kiln: Seven minor girls, 47 workers rescued in Sangareddy

The officials shifted the seven minor girls to the Sakhi Centre in the district while arrangements were made to shift the rest of the workers to Odisha

Sangareddy: Child Protection Cell officials and Labour department officials rescued 54 migrant workers, including seven minor girls, of Odisha from a brick kiln at Darga Thanda in Narayankhed Mandal on Wednesday.

As the brick kiln owners Amgoth Paramesh, Amgoth Shankar, Ramesh, and Gangaram were allegedly harassing the minor girls sexually besides ill-treating the other 47 workers, the Odisha workers with the help of their relatives in their State had contacted Odisha Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra seeking his help. Mohapatra alerted Telangana Labour department officials.

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Following the directions of Joint Commissioner R Chandrasekharam, Child Protection Officer R Rathnam and Labour department officials Yadagiri, Praveen and Yadaiah raided the brick kiln and found that the owners were sexually harassing the minor girls. They further found that the brick kiln management was giving wages of only Rs.500 per week as against the Rs.1,000 per week they had promised. The workers further alleged that the owners were not giving them proper water and food besides making them work for additional hours. The management has also forced the minors to work in the brick kiln against their wish.

The officials shifted the seven minor girls to the Sakhi Centre in Sangareddy while arrangements were made to shift the rest of the workers to Odisha. Following a complaint from Childline Sangareddy social activist Navaneetha, the Narayankhed police registered a case and further investigation is on.

Cases under various sections were registered against the brick kiln owners for engaging minors in the work and also for harassing the minor girls sexually.