Ambala: Eight minor girls, who worked in the Apollo circus, were rescued from the circus camp in Ambala City today. The girls, all natives of Assam, were rescued during an inspection by a joint team of the Child Welfare Committee, Health Department, district child protection unit, child labour committee, Labour Department, child line and the police led by the SDM.

Ambala: Eight minor girls, who worked in the Apollo circus, were rescued from the circus camp in Ambala City today. The girls, all natives of Assam, were rescued during an inspection by a joint team of the Child Welfare Committee, Health Department, district child protection unit, child labour committee, Labour Department, child line and the police led by the SDM.

District Child Protection Officer Megha Singla said, “We were on an inspection visit to the circus and found eight minor girls there without their parents. The girls are from Darjeeling and Siliguri. They told us that they were forced to work and want to return home. The girls have been sent for counselling”.

One of the rescued girls said her parents were given Rs 10,000 when they brought her to Ambala City. She added, “My parents were told that I would be allowed to study and given a good job but nothing of sort happened. We are forced to work. We are sometimes beaten up for small mistakes”.