Raipur mushroom factory raided again: 109 child labourers rescued from hazardous conditions
Raipur
In a shocking repeat of violations, 109 child labourers were rescued from the Mojo Mushroom Factory in Kharoora, Raipur, during a joint raid on November 17 by the National Human Rights Commission, the Women and Child Development Department, and the police. The rescued minors include 68 girls and 41 boys. All have been shifted to the Mana Children’s Observation Home, where counselling sessions are underway.
Interviews with the children revealed disturbing details of exploitation, abuse, and hazardous working conditions inside the factory.
Crowded rooms, abuse, and withheld wages
The minors said 10–15 children were packed into a single room. Many had been trapped for months, some for three to six months, others for a year, and a few for up to three years.
They reported frequent beatings, harassment of girls, and delayed or withheld wages. When they demanded payment, contractors and supervisors allegedly threatened to kill them.
They were forced to start work at 4–5 am and continue late into the night, receiving only two meals a day.
Exposed to toxic chemicals
Officials said the children were made to work in unsafe conditions—mixing soil, packing mushrooms, lifting ice blocks, and spraying chemicals. The team noted the presence of formalin, a highly toxic chemical that caused eye irritation even from a distance.
Experts warn that prolonged exposure to formalin can lead to severe illnesses, including cancer, putting the children at extreme health risk.
Repeat victims trapped again
During counselling, officials found that some children had been rescued earlier in July from the same factory. Over 90 labourers were freed then, and an FIR was lodged, but the case went cold in the labour court.
Contractors again lured previously rescued children with false promises of work and brought them back into forced labour.
Most rescued children are from Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal, trafficked through interstate contractor networks.
Workers drank water from polythene bags
Officials also found water-filled polythene bags hanging on walls. With no utensils available, children pierced the bags to drink—showing complete neglect of basic amenities.
Lack of follow-up after previous rescue
After the July rescue, the labour department, WCD officials, and police held an inquiry, but the labour department only filed a case in labour court and took no further action, enabling the exploitation to continue.
Assistant Labour Commissioner Devendra Dewangan said the department was not informed about the latest raid. “If a complaint or report is submitted, action will be taken,” he said. “The earlier case is still pending in the labour court.”
A pattern of neglect
This is the second major rescue in five months from the same facility. Human rights teams say the recurrence shows systemic failure in enforcement, monitoring, and rehabilitation.
A related case from July revealed minors being beaten, forced to work 18-hour shifts, fed raw food, and attacked with sharp objects. Four contractors were booked.
The latest rescue exposes grim child exploitation inside the Mojo Mushroom Factory, raising urgent questions on monitoring mechanisms and accountability of authorities responsible for preventing such violations.
