The city police rescued around 1,175 children under ‘Operation Muskaan’ in the month of July, who were illegally employed to work. In Hyderabad city, teams rescued 524 children, comprising 481 boys and 43 girls. Of these, 317 children were from Telangana, while 207 were from other states.

The Hyderabad police, responding to complaints from labor officers and NGOs, filed 20 criminal cases against employers for employing children at work. For cases where criminal charges were not applicable, the labor department imposed fines totaling Rs 11.2 lakh

The Hyderabad Police commissionerate, which is divided into 25 divisions, organized 25 special teams for the operation. Each team comprised one labor department official, a Sub-Inspector or Assistant Sub-Inspector, a constable, and members from other departments, said a press release.