Nuapada: In a major crackdown, Sinapali police rescued 30 bonded labourers Thursday evening while they were allegedly being trafficked in a private bus from Nuapada district to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Four middlemen associated with this trafficking have been arrested.
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The police swung into action after getting information from a reliable source that a large number of ‘bonded’ labourers were being trafficked.
A team of personnel from Sinapali police station stopped and checked the bus (registration number OD-08 M-0675) near Hatibandha village. They rescued the labourers. Most of the labourers were from Nuapada, Bolangir and Sonepur districts, a police official informed. Police also seized the bus which was on its way to Hyderabad and arrested its driver, helper and conductor.
Notably, a larger number of migrant workers had returned to their respective homes in Nuapada, following the lockdown relaxations. They have been facing difficulties as the district administration has failed to provide them opportunities to eke out their living.
PNN