Two arrested on charges of forced child labour

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 19 (MExN): Four minors allegedly forced to labour as household helps on the promise of schooling them were rescued from a home in Dimapur on October 14 last. The children, all boys aged between 11-13 years, are from Mon district.
According to Women Cell, Dimapur, the rescue was made following a receipt of a verbal complaint from Naga Women Hoho Dimapur. One man and a woman were arrested in this connection. The woman was identified as Tsering Chonzon (45 years), a Tibetan; and the other was identified as Noklem Konyak (41 years). Both were booked under section 374 of the Indian Penal Code (unlawful compulsory labour).
Women Cell disclosed that Chonzon was arrested the day the children were rescued while, Konyak was arrested from Mon two days later.  
The children, according to the initial statement of Chonzon, were brought to

Dimapur earlier in the beginning of the year by Konyak from Mon, on the understanding that the former would take care of them while send them to school. No monetary transaction is said to have taken place. Chonzon did manage to get two of the boys admitted in one of the government primary schools here, while the other two were not that fortunate.
The allegation was that the children were made to work, illegal under the child law, at Chonzon’s home as well as her workplace. Chonzon, also a married mother, has a furniture shop at Khatkhati in Karbi Anglong. She has a rented flat at an apartment complex near the New Flyover from where the children were taken to her workplace in Khatkhati on working days, it is alleged.
Chonzon claimed that she never abused the children under her custody while on the other hand, the children claimed otherwise. She told police that since she was not able to get two of the children admitted in school thus, she had them help out at her work. The daily grind for the other two was to attend school, after which they followed the others to the furniture shop. She claimed that it was never her intention to abuse the children and never did.
After the rescue, the children were taken into custody by the Konyak Union, Dimapur. Later an FIR was also lodged by the union against the woman, Women Cell said.  
It was further disclosed that two other girls (aged six and seven) had reportedly escaped from her home in the beginning of the year, the reasons behind which is yet to be established. Claiming her innocence, Chonzon said that earlier she had sent five children to Ghaziabad where they are presently being provided education under the care of a welfare organization. She had also managed to send two other children to Bangalore, where they are being schooled, police were told.