48 adivasis rescued from bonded labour in Indapur, accused booked

Shankar Baravkar, store inspector of the Labour Department, Baramati, stated that an FIR was registered connected February 4 astatine Indapur Police Station against the accused, Shahaji Bapu Bhandalkar, who owns the charcoal-making unit. He confirmed that each remaining workers and their household members were successfully rescued by the police.

Gokul Hilam, president of the Nashik portion of Shramjeevi Sangathana, based successful Vasai, received a tip-off from Krishna Jadhav, a idiosyncratic from Raigad who was rescued past twelvemonth by the organisation. Jadhav informed Hilam that Adivasi families had been trapped successful Indapur for the past 2 years. Acting connected this information, Hilam and his squad planned a rescue operation.

On February 3, Krishna, Hilam, and different members, including Sanjay Shinde and Ramesh Waghmare, acceptable retired for Giwri village. They halted for the nighttime astatine a lodge successful Akluj municipality earlier contacting 1 of the Adivasis the adjacent morning, asking them to conscionable astatine a autobus stand. “They came, but they were terrified. They said that if the proprietor recovered out, helium would bushed them,” Hilam said.

“I took them to the riverbank adjacent a wood successful a neighboring village, wherever antheral workers were sent for 15 days astatine a clip to chopped trees for charcoal production,” Hilam said. “The existent nonaccomplishment of humanity present was that during these 15 days, the proprietor restricted the question of women and children, ensuring they could not escape.” Hilam added that conscionable days earlier the rescue, Bhandalkar, suspecting an flight attempt, brutally assaulted 2 women for going retired astatine nighttime to relieve themselves.

According to the workers’ accounts shared with Hilam, Bhandalkar subjected them to utmost exploitation. They were forced to aftermath up astatine 4am regular to chopped and transport logs, run charcoal kilns, load dense wood, and adjacent enactment connected his farm. “If they refused, helium would bushed them with woody sticks, physically maltreatment them, and hurl obscene verbal insults. Even those who were sick oregon unwell were forced to proceed working,” Hilam stated.

Hilam explained however Bhandalkar besides restricted their movement, prohibiting them from visiting the section market. “Instead, helium paid them lone Rs 800 to Rs 1,000 per week and forced them to bargain indispensable goods exclusively from his ain shop, further worsening their dependency,” helium said.

Hilam archetypal took the rescued antheral workers to Akluj constabulary station, but the constabulary refused to record a case, citing jurisdiction issues. The radical past proceeded to Indapur constabulary station, wherever an FIR was yet registered against Bhandalkar nether the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.

TS Attar, Assistant Commissioner and Government Labour Officer successful Pune, told The Indian Express that they had not been informed astir the incidental and would request to stitchery details. “As per protocol, the constabulary should person included america successful the task force. We volition present analyse the matter,” she stated. Meanwhile, the Indapur tehsildar has issued documents to the laborers, officially freeing them from their bonded status.

Although Bhandalkar has been booked nether the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, charges nether the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act person not been filed.