Bhubaneswar: Odisha Police have rescued two labourers from Gajapati district who were allegedly subjected to bonded labour and illegal confinement in Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, an official said Tuesday.
The rescued labourers were identified as Santiel Karado (54) and Gamliel Karado (29), residents of R Udayagiri block in Gajapati district.
According to police, both had been working as labourers under a businessman in Tirupati for the last five years. However, according to information received from their family members, they had been illegally confined by their employer for the past eight days, the police officer said.
The families also alleged that during this period, the duo was deprived of adequate food, prevented from contacting their families, denied their rightful wages, and threatened to continue working without payment for the coming months.
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Acting upon the complaints, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) R Udayagiri, Rakesh K Sahoo, established contact with Tirupati Police and shared all relevant details regarding the victims and the circumstances of their confinement.
Through coordinated efforts, timely intervention, and effective cooperation between Gajapati Police and Tirupati Police, both labourers were successfully rescued and brought to safety, the officer said.
“Tirupati Police has been requested to initiate appropriate legal action against those responsible for the exploitation and illegal confinement of these labourers. We are also in regular coordination with the concerned Labour department officials,” the SDPO said.
He said the police in the coming days will make every effort to identify and rescue other bonded labourers from Gajapati district who may be facing similar circumstances elsewhere.
PTI