Digapahandi: Three migrant workers from Ganjam district were allegedly detained illegally and tortured at a private company in Tamil Nadu, prompting Digapahandi police to rush a team to the southern state for their rescue.
The workers were identified as B Budu Reddy (32), son of B Tabat Reddy; B Purna Reddy (30), son of B Ganesh Reddy; and S Dhoba Dora (31), son of S Duryodhan Dora. All of them hail from Lakshmi Narayanpur village under B Turubudi panchayat in Digapahandi block.
They had travelled to Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu around 15 days back along with a labour contractor after being promised work at a biscuit factory. As no work was provided, the trio decided to return home and reached the nearest railway station. At that point, another labour contractor allegedly lured them back to a company assuring employment.
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According to the complaint, the company owner confined the workers in a room, seized their mobile phones and forced them to work like bonded labour. The workers alleged that they were denied food for three consecutive days and had access to a mobile phone for only a few minutes each evening, preventing them from speaking to family members.
When they demanded wages, they were reportedly assaulted and subjected to physical torture at the instance of the company owner.
Dhoba Dora managed to inform his family about the ordeal over the phone Friday, prompting his father Duryodhan, along with Purna Reddy’s wife Mukta Reddy and mother Sumitra Reddy, to lodge a complaint at Digapahandi police station Saturday.
Based on the complaint, a case (44/26) was registered, and IIC-cum-DSP Prashant Kumar Patra briefed Berhampur Superintendent of Police Dr Saravana Vivek M. The SP contacted his Tamil Nadu counterpart and sought assistance.
Following the SP’s directions, a police team led by SI Mahaprasad Mohanty left for Tamil Nadu Monday morning to rescue the workers. The matter has also been brought to the notice of the district administration and labour authorities.