NCPCR members served lunch by underage children at India Habitat Centre, child rights body demands FIR

New Delhi: The National Commission for the Protection of Children has written to the Delhi Police to file an FIR against the management of the India Habitat Centre after it said it found two children serving food at its Foundation Day celebration there.

NCPCR chief Priyank Kanungo, in a letter to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) on Tuesday, said that during the Foundation Day celebration of the child rights body on Monday at the IHC’s Jacaranda Hall, two children were found serving lunch to the dignitaries attending. The two children are aged 17 years. “The children were enquired by the team of the Child Labour Department, NCPCR and they themselves have admitted their age to be under the age of 18 years,” the letter stated.

Upon investigation, the NCPCR said, it found that the children were engaged by a contractor, and that one of them had been working since February this year and another for the last 15-20 days.

“The children were engaged by the IHC through the said contractor based on the date of birth mentioned in their Aadhar Card. Whereas, one child namely (redacted) apprised that he does not have an Aadhar Card,” the complaint states.

The NCPCR has asked the Delhi Police to reduce the children and produce them before a Child Welfare Committee, ensure proper compensation to the children, and trace their respective families so that they could be sent there.

“It may be worthwhile to mention here that the children so found in the said situation ha'i c also

admitted that the Contractor namely Bhanwar Pal is residing in Kotla Mubarakpur, near JNL Stadium, under whom there may be number of other minor children are kept confined for engaging in labour situation. This must be immediately verified and a raid to nab the said Conductor is to be conducted (sic,” the letter said.

The NCPCR has also asked for an action taken report to be sent within three days.