TIRUPUR: A total of 15 girls, including 10 minors, were on Tuesday rescued from a spinning mill in Thekkalur in Avinashi on Monday evening. Speaking to TNIE, an official from the Social Welfare Department said, “We received complaints through the 1098 ChildLine against a spinning mill in Thekkalur. A team of officials from ChildLine, revenue, and police raided the mill at 4 pm. During the search, we found that the girls, from places like Thiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Dharmapuri, and Tirunelveli were brought without valid e-passes.”
During one-one questioning, the official said that the girls mentioned the promises made by the employers.
“They said they were shocked when they were forced to work in a spinning mill after their arrival,” the official said. “They were forced to work for around 12 hours, but weren’t offered any allowance for the extra hours,” the official added. The employers also used to allegedly verbally and physically abuse them. As the allegations were serious, 15 girls, aged between 14 and 18, were rescued, the official said. ChildLine 1098 is a 24-hour, free, emergency helpline.