On Wednesday (29th May), the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and a police team jointly raided a slaughterhouse in Ghaziabad. The teams rescued 57 minors from there, including 31 girls and 26 boys illegally made to work in the slaughterhouse owned by one Yasin Qureshi. All of them were being made to do animal slaughtering.
According to reports, the rescued minors were lured from UP, Bihar, and West Bengal by promising them jobs in Ghaziabad. Instead, they were being subjected to inhumane work at the slaughterhouse. Now, action is being taken under sections of the Labour Act and IPC, in this matter.
NCPCR Chairperson Priyank Kanungo said that they had been getting information about this for a long time. After receiving concrete input, a joint raid was conducted at the International Agro Food slaughterhouse in the Mussoorie area of Ghaziabad. It is owned by a man named Yasin Qureshi who is a major player in the meat industry.
Kanungo added that 57 minors including handicapped people have been rescued but the number could go up as the operation is ongoing. The ages of rescued children are being verified, he noted, the raid took place on the complaint of ‘Mission Mukti’.
The minors were engaged in the work of cutting and packing meat in the unit. Some of the children were kept as bonded labour, they were kept hostage and forced to work in the factory for the last several years. All the children were paid Rs 300 per day for their work.
आज उत्तरप्रदेश के ग़ाज़ियाबाद ज़िले के मसूरी इलाक़े में याशीन कुरेशी के इंटरनेशनल एग्रो फ़ूड के पशु क़त्लखाने पर @NCPCR_ के निर्देश पर @Uppolice के साथ की गयी संयुक्त छापामार कार्यवाही में 57 नाबालिगों (31 लड़कियाँ व 26 लड़कों इनमें दिव्यांग भी शामिल हैं।) को रेस्क्यू किया गया है… pic.twitter.com/0pmkT2dHgg
— प्रियंक कानूनगो Priyank Kanoongo (मोदी का परिवार) (@KanoongoPriyank) May 29, 2024
Ghaziabad Police ADCP (Crime) Sacchidanand said, “The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in New Delhi received a complaint that 40 children from West Bengal and Bihar were being illegally employed in a slaughterhouse in Ghaziabad. Taking action, a team was formed by the Ghaziabad Commissioner, and today, with all the teams, a rescue operation was carried out at the Agro International Food slaughterhouse in Dasna Masuri, rescuing 57 children.”
Watch: "The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights in New Delhi received a complaint that 40 children from West Bengal and Bihar were being illegally employed in a slaughterhouse in Ghaziabad. Taking action, a team was formed by the Ghaziabad Commissioner, and today,… pic.twitter.com/vDW1WF8tIi
— IANS (@ians_india) May 29, 2024
The ADCP said that the children were found to be working in a very miserable condition.
The complaint was filed by the Child Welfare Committee after receiving information on the illegal employment of children in the slaughterhouse. After that, the police along with NCPCR raided the slaughterhouse and rescued the children.
According to reports, the action continued for around three hours. During the interrogation of the children, it was revealed that they were brought here from Moradabad-Bareilly, Bihar, and West Bengal by being lured with jobs promising Rs 10-15 thousand. Efforts are underway to provide the rescued minors with the necessary support, including medical assistance, counselling, and rehabilitation services.
Police said that all the children would be presented before the CWC after giving them medical treatment.
According to the Police, the main business of International Agro Food is meat processing, freezing, and exporting to other countries. The owner of this slaughterhouse is Yasin Qureshi and legal action will be taken against him. A case has been registered under the Bonded Labour Act and relevant sections of IPC.
The joint team part of the rescue operation included NCPCR, Mukti Foundation, Police, Administration, Childline, Anti Human Trafficking Unit, and Labour Department teams.
According to the International Agro Food’s claims, their factories are HACCP-approved and ISO-certified. The animals are slaughtered in strict accordance with the Islamic practice of Halal. They export their meat products to most global destinations including all West African, CIS, Middle East, Egypt, South Asian, and Far Eastern countries. The meat products produced are supplied directly to importers, the catering industry, supermarkets, and wholesalers under our popular brands at highly competitive prices.
