Child rights panel seeks agreement papers

BHOPAL: The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) has asked for documents of the agreement signed between an alleged child labourer, an employee of a local industry in Bhopal, who had sustained serious head injuries a few months back and his employer after hearing a case on Wednesday.
Members of the family of minor, Ram Shankar (name changed), 16, told the commission that he worked for Shashi Enterprises at Govindpura industrial estate.While on duty, he sustained severe injuries when an iron beam fell on his head and he went into coma. This incident took place a few months back.
They alleged that the minor then went into coma for a fortnight and later recovered. The employer paid for the Initial treatment at Anandshree Hospital, Indrapuri. Once the hospital charges went up, the mill owner shifted the minor to Peoples Hospital and stopped paying for his treatment, they told the commission.
The boy's father also alleged that he was made to give his thumb impression on a blank paper.
During the hearing on Wednesday, when commission chairperson Usha Chaturvedi asked employer Ved Prakash Bharadwaj whether he had made the boy's father put a thumb impression on a blank paper, he replied in the negative.
Ved Prakash, however, told the commission that there was an agreement with the alleged victim.
Chaturvedi said, "Unless we see the agreement, we cannot come to any conclusion. The employer has been asked to furnish the agreement to the commission. The next hearing of the case will be on May 22."
The minor's father had also alleged that the employer had filed an FIR with the police stating his age to be 22. Later, Childline, an NGO working for children, taking suo motu cognisance of the case had accessed the class VIII mark-sheet of the minor which showed his age as 16.
Chaturvedi said, "The commission will recommend adequate compensation to the labour court for the child once we are through with the case."
Another case heard at the commission was of the child studying at TM Convent School, who was forcibly given a transfer certificate (TC) by the school.
The commission had called the secretary of the school. Secretary M A Beg gave in writing that the TC will taken back in the presence of the district education officer (DEO).
Members of the commission present at the hearing on Wednesday were RH Lata, Vibhangshu Joshi, Reeta Upadhya, Asha Yadav and under-secretary US Nagaich.