Three bonded labourers rescued from brick kiln

Bengaluru: Three bonded labourers, a married couple and a woman, were rescued from a brick kiln in Channapatna of Ramanagara district by the district administration in assistance with International Justice Mission (IJM), on Saturday.

The labourers hail from Balangir district of Odisha and had been allegedly confined to the brick kiln as bonded labourers for four months. The case came to light when one male labourer escaped, leaving his wife behind, and contacted his relative. A case has been registered at the Channapatna police station against the owner under various sections of the IPC and under the provisions of the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act.

Both the families had come to Karnataka and found work in Ramanagara some months ago. However, a few months after their arrival, they were trafficked to the brick kiln in Channapatna through false promises by a trafficker, who also hails from Odisha and a resident of Ramanagara.

“The labourers were confined to the brick kiln and worked under inhuman conditions, enduring physical violence. They worked from 6 am to 7 pm from Monday to Saturday and half day on Sunday. They were constantly watched by the owner and his son. After 7 pm, to prevent them from attempting to escape, they were locked in a room.

The labourers were forced to use their own buckets as latrines since they were not allowed outside under any circumstances at night. One of the women was sexually harassed and the owner attempted to rape her, but she managed to save herself," Mary Prathima from the IJM said.