Major Crackdown In Ahmedabad: Police Rescue 74 Children In Citywide Operation Targeting Begging Gangs

AHMEDABAD — In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns against child exploitation on urban streets, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch’s Mahila Cell, partnering with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), rescued 146 individuals—including 74 children and 72 adults—from known begging hotspots across the city on Wednesday.

The rescued individuals were transported to the Ranip Community Hall in Vadigam Society, Ranip, where multi-departmental teams immediately initiated medical screenings, background verifications, and psychological counselling as part of a formal rehabilitation process.

Swift Operations Across City Hotspots

The citywide drive was executed under the direct supervision of Crime Branch Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Ajit Rajian, with field operations spearheaded by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Himala Joshi, East Women Cell PI M A Aambaliya, and West Women Cell PI N B Kalsariya. Hundreds of police personnel swept through major traffic junctions and public intersections.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sharad Singhal personally inspected the temporary rescue centre at Ranip to review welfare measures, medical camps, and logistics set up for the rescued families.

Strict Legal Action Under Juvenile Justice Act

Authorities confirmed that strict legal proceedings have begun against those forcing minors onto the streets, even in cases where parents were caught begging alongside their children.

"Police have initiated action under the Juvenile Justice Act against persons found involving children in begging activities," ACP Himala Joshi stated, adding that all identified child-begging hotspots in the city were covered during the raid.

Additionally, police are invoking provisions under the Gujarat Police Act against individuals causing public nuisances or blocking traffic while selling trinkets or wiping car windshields at signals. Officers highlighted that weaving between moving traffic puts young children at severe risk of fatal road accidents.

CWC To Decide Future Custody Of Rescued Minors

All 74 rescued children underwent mandatory medical evaluations before being produced directly before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in strict accordance with the Juvenile Justice Act.

The CWC will evaluate each case individually to determine whether the minors should be reunited with verified guardians or placed in state-run shelter homes for long-term care and education.

Police initially identified eight children whose parents could not be immediately located on-site. Following intensive questioning and verification, authorities successfully traced the parents of six children, while efforts remain underway to locate the families of the remaining two.

Human Trafficking And Syndicate Angle Under Probe

The Crime Branch has launched a parallel investigation to determine whether any of the rescued children were victims of organized human trafficking rings or physical abuse.

Specialist teams from local police 'SHE Teams' and the Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU) are actively interviewing the children to trace their origins. Officers are verifying background details, documenting visible injuries, and analyzing how they arrived in the state capital.

Preliminary inquiries reveal that many families temporarily migrate to Ahmedabad from neighboring rural districts due to acute poverty and lack of shelter. While some take up informal street trade, many turn to begging. The multi-agency initiative—supported by the health and education departments—aims to curb the systemic exploitation of vulnerable minors and transition them into formal schooling.