Twelve bonded labourers were rescued from a factory in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar, where they were allegedly held captive, beaten and forced to work without pay for nearly two years.
A joint team comprising the Labour Department, police and district administration conducted a raid on a utensil-manufacturing factory in Muzaffarnagar on Monday and rescued 12 bonded labourers who had allegedly been held captive and subjected to severe abuse.
According to officials, impoverished workers from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and even Nepal were allegedly lured to the factory with promises of employment and wages. However, once they arrived, their mobile phones and Aadhaar cards were confiscated, they were denied proper food and water, and were allegedly forced to work under brutal conditions without pay.
Authorities also revealed that two pit bull dogs were kept at the facility to prevent workers from escaping. The rescued labourers claimed they lived in constant fear of the animals and were regularly beaten if they failed to meet work demands.
Police are investigating reports that several workers may have died during the nearly two years they were allegedly held captive. Two suspects, identified as Shivam Tyagi and Pradeep Balyan, have been arrested. Officers recovered sticks, belts and other objects allegedly used to assault the labourers.
How The Rescue Operation Began
The operation was launched after one worker managed to escape and informed police that numerous labourers were being illegally confined at the factory located in Madi village under the Titawi police station area.
Following the tip-off, a joint team from the Labour Department, police and administration raided the premises and rescued the workers. The rescued individuals were identified as Ramu, Vikram, Narayan, Sitaram, Santosh, Shivam Jatav, Jagdish, Rajhans, Sahil, Ranjit Paswan, Dilshad, Ujjwal and Sonu Chauhan.
Workers Describe Alleged Abuse
The rescued labourers alleged they had been brought to the factory about two years ago after being promised salaries ranging from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per month.
Instead, they claim they were held against their will, beaten with sticks and belts, denied wages, and given only one meal every 24 hours, often consisting of dry bran bread. They also alleged that they were not allowed to contact family members or leave the premises.
SSP’s Statement
Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sanjay Kumar Verma said police acted on intelligence received about labourers being illegally confined at the factory.
According to the SSP, the rescued workers bore serious injury marks on their bodies and alleged they had been held captive for nearly two years. He said the accused would allegedly recruit vulnerable individuals from bus stands and railway stations by promising jobs before bringing them to the factory and forcing them to work without pay.
Verma added that workers were allegedly intimidated using pit bulls, heated metal equipment and belts used as whips. Medical examinations of the rescued labourers reportedly revealed multiple injuries, including fractures in some cases.
Police have registered a case under several sections of the law, including provisions related to bonded labour, assault and child protection. The SSP stated that additional charges may be added as the investigation progresses, particularly regarding reports of deaths linked to the alleged abuse.
He also announced that the police team involved in the rescue operation would be rewarded with Rs 25,000 for their efforts.
