VIJAYAWADA: The District Women and Child Development Agency (DW&CDA) took 14 women beggars into custody in the city Saturday during raids conducted in various localities including Benz Circle, Besant Road and areas surrounding the railway station. They also rescued 13 children who were hired, drugged and forced to beg by the women.
DW&CDA project director K Krishna Kumari said that some women were sedating children and forcing them to beg, while others were hiring kids. “We will produce these women and children before the district Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which in turn will decide on the further proceedings.
We are also planning to register cases against the women who were hiring children for begging under section 24 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children)-2000 Act,” she added.
She added that the CWC would decide if or not the women and children were to be taken into central home for rehabilitation.