Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Karnataka Police Rescue 800 Children in Statewide Child-Labour Drive
Police in Karnataka found and rescued 800 children who were allegedly working instead of going to school.
More than half of the children, 503, were rescued in Bengaluru.
Officers checked thousands of places such as shops, markets, hotels and construction sites.
Police registered cases or served notices against people accused of employing children.
Some children were taken to Child Welfare Committees for care.
Others were returned to their parents.
The operation began after Chief Minister D K Shivakumar saw children working at Bengaluru’s Yeshwanthpur APMC Yard.
Officials said the goal was to protect children and help them live safely, learn and grow.
Police rescued 800 children allegedly engaged in labour at establishments across Karnataka during a special statewide drive.
Bengaluru accounted for 503 rescues after police teams checked 5,897 premises, with 18 cases registered against shop owners.
The operation involved inspections of markets, hotels, bakeries, construction sites, transport hubs and other premises.
Rescued children were handed to Child Welfare Committees, with some returned to their parents.
The drive followed Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s inspection of Yeshwanthpur APMC Yard and directions to enforce child-labour laws.
- Who
- Karnataka police, labour inspectors, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and officials from Child Welfare Committees were involved; 800 children were rescued.
- What
- A special drive identified and rescued children allegedly engaged in labour, while legal action was initiated against employers.
- When
- The statewide operation was reported on Saturday, September 12; the chief minister’s APMC inspection was reported as having occurred on September 8.
- Where
- Across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Tumakuru and other districts.
- Why
- The drive aimed to prevent child labour, rescue affected children and enforce the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986.
- Children rescued
- 800 across Karnataka
- Bengaluru rescues
- 503 children
- Bengaluru premises checked
- 5,897
- Bengaluru cases
- 18 cases registered against shop owners
- Statewide inspections
- One report said 16,951 premises were checked by 962 police stations
- Legal provisions
- Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and the Juvenile Justice Act
- Reported discrepancies
- Reports differed on the number rescued during the chief minister’s APMC visit: 19 in one account and 13 in another
