Bengaluru: Karnataka has topped in child labour prosecution after 99 cases registered in the state under the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Act, in 2017.

According to a The Hindu report, Karnataka is followed by Jharkhand at 86 in 2017. The number of prosecutions in Karnataka was 70 and 65 in 2016 and 2015, respectively.

The number of cases recorded in other States is: Gujarat – 34, Haryana – 4, Himachal Pradesh – 1, Jammu and Kashmir – 8, Kerala – 2, Madhya Pradesh – 48, Odisha – 64, Punjab – 81, and Tamil Nadu – 1. In the country, 428 cases of prosecution were recorded in 2017, while the number was 1,567 in 2016 and 2,471 in 2015.

After strengthening the legislative framework through amendment to the Child Labour Act, the Union government has framed the Child Labour (Prohibition & Regulation) Amendment Rules, 2017 which ensure effective enforcement of the provisions of the Act.

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Bhubaneswar/Berhampur, Dec 2: A 45-year-old theatre actor playing the role of a demon in Ramayana was arrested after he ripped the stomach of a live pig on stage and ate its meat in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.

The incident sparked a statewide outrage and was condemned in the assembly on Monday.

Besides the actor, identified as Bimbadhar Gouda, one of the organisers of the play that took place in Ralab village in Hinjili police station area on November 24 was also arrested for cruelty to animals and violation of the Wildlife Protection Act.

Ruling BJP members Babu Singh and Sanatan Bijuli strongly condemned the incident in the assembly.

Action was taken against the duo after videos of the incident went viral on social media, with animal rights activists also condemning it and calling for strong action against the accused.

"We are also looking for the persons who displayed snakes in the theatre. They will also be arrested soon," Berhampur Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Sunny Khokar said.

He, however, did not disclose the name of the arrested organiser.

The state government, in a guideline issued in August last year, prohibited the public display of snakes, including by certified snake handlers.

"We have registered a case against the theatre actor who killed the pig and ate its meat in the theatre, and arrested him," said Hinjili police station inspector-in-charge Srinibas Sethy said.

To attract audience, the theatre group displayed snakes while a demon ripped the stomach of a live pig with a knife, which was tied to a ceiling of the stage and ate some of the organs in full public view, he said.

A group of the villagers organised the theatre on the occasion of Kanjianal Yatra in the village.