2 min readAhmedabadMay 21, 2026 01:16 AM ISTThe FIR in the case was filed at Jetpur Udhyognagar police station on the basis of a complaint by a police personnel on behalf of the state.A TOTAL of 20 children, aged between 11 and 17 years, were on Wednesday rescued from a garment factory in Jetpur town of rural Rajkot by the police, with the owner of the unit being booked for human trafficking and bonded child labour.The action was taken on the basis of information from the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA).All the rescued children belong to West Champaran district of Biha, police said.Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Simran Bhardwaj said the unit owner, Zulfikar Abdulhashnat Iraqi, was arrested.The FIR in the case was filed at Jetpur Udhyognagar police station on the basis of a complaint by a police personnel on behalf of the state.The FIR stated that the accused, unit owner Zulfikar Abdulhashnat Iraqi, allegedly approached poor families, gave them some advance payment and on the promise of giving their children work under good conditions, trafficked them across state lines to Jetpur, Rajkot, and made them work continuously from 8 am to 12 am (16 hours a day) for the past year. The FIR further stated that the children were given a total of 2 hours break for meals two times a day.It alleged that Iraqi did not allow the minors to return home even if they wanted to do so and paid them a meagre Rs 200 per day. The police, during the raid, found that there was no designated space for the children to rest either. The children were sent to the care of the state.Story continues below this adIraqi was booked under BNS sections 143(5) (trafficking more than one child), and 146 (unlawful compulsory labour). He was also booked under section 79 (exploitation of a child employee) of the Juvenile Justice Act; sections 3, 7 and 14(1) of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act; as well as under sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act. Brendan Dabhi works with The Indian Express, focusing his comprehensive reporting primarily on Gujarat. He covers the region's most critical social, legal, and administrative sectors, notably specializing at the intersection of health, social justice, and disasters. Expertise Health and Public Policy: He has deep expertise in healthcare issues, including rare diseases, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), the complex logistics of organ transplants, and public health challenges like drug-resistant TB and heat health surveillance. His on-ground reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic and Mucormycosis was critical in exposing healthcare challenges faced by marginalized communities in Gujarat. Social Justice and Legal Administration: He reports on the functioning of the legal and police system, including the impact of judicial philosophy, forensics and crucial administrative reforms (. He covers major surveillance and crackdown exercises by the Gujarat police and security on the international border. Disaster and Crisis Management: His work closely tracks how government and civic bodies respond to large-scale crises, providing essential coverage on the human and administrative fallout of disasters including cyclones, floods, conflict, major fires and reported extensively on the AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad. Civic Infrastructure and Governance: Provides timely reports on critical civic failures, including large scale infrastructure projects by the railways and civic bodies, as well as the enforcement of municipal regulations and their impact on residents and heritage. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:ahmedabadAdvertisementLoading Recommendations...Advertisement