47 ‘minor’ girls rescued from four shrimp processing units in Nellore district

As many as 47 girls, suspected to be minors, working in four shrimp processing units, were rescued by special teams during joint inspections across SPSR Nellore district. Cases have been filed against these firms and the labour contractors at the Kodavalur, Dagadarthi and Indukurupeta police stations.

As per the orders issued by District Collector O. Anand, the special teams constituted of officials from District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), Anti Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Child Welfare Committee (CWC), Factories and Police departments.

Speaking to The Hindu, District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) Suresh Kumar said, “The teams conducted inspections at 12 shrimp processing units as per the action plan. We identified some girls, suspected to be minors, engaging in child labour, in four shrimp processing units.”

“With the support of Medical Officer, the DCPU has rescued these girls, who allegedly have been recorded as majors in their Aadhaar cards. They were shifted to Viswajanani, a child care institution registered under Juvenile Justice Act, at Rajupalem village in Kodavalur mandal,” he informed.

Of the 47 girls, 10 have been confirmed as minors based on general, dental and radiological examination conducted by a team of doctors from ACSR Government General Hospital (GGH) in Nellore. Following the examinations, they were handed over to their parents from Odisha.

Published - June 04, 2025 08:07 pm IST