Rescuer of 111 child labourers attacked

A young social activist, whose efforts helped in the rescue of as many as 111 child labourers, was assaulted by two unidentified persons when she was on her way to Morbi town in Gujarat's Saurashtra region.

Police said Jharna Joshi, in her early twenties, has been admitted in a local hospital for injuries on her forehead, arms and legs after she was attacked on Sunday night.

Joshi, who is from Ahmedabad, had joined the Sonaki Ceramics firm to expose the use of child labour there and conducted a sting operation for nearly two months.

She was attacked near Halvad town when she was on her way to Morbi on her scooter by two unidentified persons riding a motorcycle.

"They halted me by crossing my way and asked if I was Jharna the girl who rescued child labourers. Just as I said 'yes', they attacked me," Joshi told Gujarati channel Sandesh News.

According to Morbi's Deputy Superintendent of Police G.M. Malek, Joshi had been receiving threats ever since she got the child labourers freed from the ceramics factory. He said she had suspected that the threats were being issued at the behest of Sonaki Ceramics owner Jignesh Patel who was livid following the sting operation, and had warned her.

Malek said the police have registered an FIR about the attack on Joshi and launched investigations to nab the assailants.

--IANS

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