TIRUVARUR: The Mannargudi taluk on Tuesday arrested a mother and son, who belong to Godavari district in Andhra Pradesh, on the charge of employing four children as bonded labourers to herd ducks at a village near Mannargudi in Tiruvarur district.
Two boys, aged 10 and 15, and two girls, aged 12 and 13 years, who were rescued, are also from Godavari district. They belong to three families, sources said.
According to police, V Padma (45) and her son V Lawrence (24) had allegedly paid Rs 1 lakh for each child as advance to their families and brought them to Tamil Nadu to rear ducks in the fields six months ago. The children were not paid any salary for the work and were only provided food and a place to stay. The mom-son duo has been taking them from one place to another across the district to rear the flock of 200 to 300 ducks.
According to sources, ChildLine number 1098 received a call on Tuesday about four children being employed for duck rearing at a field at Embethi village near Mannargudi. Following this, revenue, police and district child protection officials visited the area and conducted inquiries.
The parents of one of the rescued child are also employed in duck rearing at another village in the district. DCPU officials have informed them about the rescue operation, but they are yet to reach Tiruvarur, sources said. The rescued children were taken to Mannargudi and produced before Revenue Divisional Officer R Yogeswaran. Based on his orders, the children have been accommodated in two government homes in Tiruvarur.
They will be produced before the child welfare committee (CWC) and the process of issuing order to release them from bondage will commence soon, officials said.
Based on a complaint by the Village Administrative Officer of Embethi, Police registered a case under sections of Juvenile Justice Act, Bonded labour System (Abolition) Act and arrested Padma and Godavari. Further investigations are on.