36 rescued in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum, 2 suspected traffickers from Gujarat held

Police in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district rescued 36 people, including six minors, from a hotel and arrested two suspected human traffickers on Sunday night.

Two suspected human traffickers from Gujarat were arrested after police rescued 36 people, including six minors, from a hotel in Jharkhand's West Singhbhum district, officials said on Tuesday.

The rescue operation was carried out late Sunday night after the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) alerted authorities that a group of people, including minors, had been lodged in a hotel in Chakradharpur and were allegedly being taken to Gujarat to work as ''bonded labourers'', they said.

The matter was also communicated to Childline in Chakradharpur for immediate action, they added.

Police rescued 30 adults and six minors, including a girl, from the hotel, officials said.

The two arrested accused were identified as Nikunj Govind Borsania (32) and Kadivar Nilesh Bhai Jeyendra Bhai (34), they said.

The accused were booked under Sections 143(1), 143(4) and 143(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) relating to human trafficking, trafficking of minors, and trafficking of multiple minors, along with Section 3(5) for acts committed with common intention, officials said.

They were also booked under Section 79 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, which deals with the exploitation of children, and Section 14(1) of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, pertaining to illegal employment and trafficking of child labourers.

Police said the process has started to send those rescued back home.