8 bonded labourers rescued in Thane; brick kiln owner booked

Thane: Eight bonded labourers, including five women, working for a brick kiln in the Thane district of Maharashtra have been rescued, police said on Thursday.

Based on a complaint by one of the victims, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Thursday against the owner of the brick kiln located at Khateghar in Murbad taluka, the official from Murbad police station said.

The victims, mostly Katkari community members from Shahapur taluka, were paid an advance sum and allegedly forced to work as bonded labourers and not paid additional wages, as per the FIR.

They were compelled to work even when unwell. When they went for a festival break, they were called back to work, the official said quoting the FIR.

The accused confiscated their belongings, including two-wheelers, to prevent them from escaping, he said.

One of the labourers has been untraceable, said the FIR.

The eight victims were rescued by a local NGO in the wee hours of Thursday following which one them approached the police with the complaint.

The police registered the FIR against the brick kiln owner under various Indian Penal Code sections, including 370(3) (trafficking of persons), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

The accused has also been booked under provisions of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said.