The police said that these children were kept in an unhygienic condition and some even had untreated wounds.
More than 200 children, some as young as 6, working as bonded labourer were rescued by the Hyderabad police in an early morning raid in the Bhavani Nagar area on Saturday.
10 people have been arrested, among them Yasin Pehelwan, a muscleman, who reportedly brought the children to Hyderabad after paying money to their parents, the police said.
The children were bought from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar after paying around Rs 20,000 to their parents and virtually held captive in a building, the police said. They were used for bangle-making, and leather and other hazardous works.
At least 500 policemen were involved in the raids which were carried out at multiple locations in Hyderabad. The police said that the raids were meant to look for illegal financiers and history-sheeters but they stumbled on these children, quite unexpectedly.
The police said that these children were kept in an unhygienic condition and some even had untreated wounds.