Police investigate Som Distilleries over allegations of employing children; company issues clarification

Police said on Monday they had launched an investigation into India's Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd after the government's child rights agency announced it had found children working at a distillery.

A case under juvenile justice and bonded labour laws was filed on Sunday, one police officer said, a day after the National Commission for Protection Of Child Rights (NCPCR) said it had found more than 50 children in the plant.

Som, which makes Hunter and Woodpecker beer, did not respond to calls requesting comment on Monday, a public holiday. There was also no response to calls to Som Group CEO Deepak Arora.


The NCPCR, a federal government agency, said it had inspected the site in Raisen district in the central state of Madhya Pradesh after a complaint from child rights activists.

"More than 50 children were found working in the manufacture of liquor, including 20 girls," NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo wrote on X on Saturday.

"Due to being in contact with chemicals, the skin of many children's hands has also been burnt. Action is being taken to rescue the children and register" a police complaint, he added.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the case was "very serious" and "strictest action will be taken against the culprits".

District labour officer G.S. Mehdele said the ages of 59 workers was being verified to determine if they were under-age.

The Raisen operation is Som's largest plant in India with distillation, storage and maturation facilities, according to the company's website.

Som Distilleries and Breweries issues:
"We wish to clarify that these concerns are not related to Som Distilleries and Breweries Limited but relate to our associate Private Limited company which deals in country liquor primarily, and not the listed company as reported," the company said in an exchanges statement.

It further stated, "Also we wanted to clarify that labour for the associate company is supplied by contractors. It may be the fault of the contractors who may not have got proper age verification done of the workers being allowed to work at that company."

That company has extended full cooperation to the authorities regarding the issue and have terminated the services of the vendor through
the directors of that company, it added.

(With Reuters inputs)