Surat and Navsari police in a joint operation on Saturday rescued five minor girls working at a firm which exports shrimps in Surat. The girls were brought from Ranchi in Jharkhand to Surat after being offered jobs in a textile firm.
The rescued girls were later sent to the Observational Home in Surat, after taking their Covid-19 tests.
Acting on a specific input, the Surat and Navsari police carried out search operation in Mindhola company at Makhinga village in Palsana taluka of Surat.
The officials had found that 30 women including five minor girls were brought from Angadh taluka in Ranchi district of Jharkhand, a month ago, to work in Surat, by a woman identified as Manju Bediya (20), a resident of Angadh taluka.
The police officials took statements of Manju and others who had come to Surat for work in the first week of August. On checking the documents of these women, the officials found that five girls were below 18 years of age. They had been rescued and sent to the Observational Home in Surat city.
The remaining women told police that they wanted to continue their job in the same firm.
Sources said that the shrimp firm is owned by Krunal Patel and Hetal Patel, both residents of Surat city. The Mindhola company does processing, packaging and exporting shrimps, said an internal source in the company.
Surat police said that one of the girl’s father had lodged a complaint against Manju Bediya, who had taken his daughter to Surat, at Angadh police station.
Surat police had not registered any offence in this rescue operation, but are waiting for the complaint from Angadh police station.
Surat District Superintendent of Police Usha Rada said, “We have rescued five girls. After checking their identity proofs, we have found that they were minors. They have been brought here to work in the shrimp packaging factory. Our police teams had taken statements of all the 30 women including minors and they had disclosed that they had come here to work and earn money, by their own willingness. We have taken custody of the five girls and Manju Bediya.”
She further said, “The firm owners had also shown us the tickets booked for the five girls to return home. They will be sent back two days later. The firm owners have made accommodation facility in the company premises for these women. We are waiting for the police complaint details and later we will start the investigation.”