‘Hum chor nahi hain.. uss samay mann kiya ki mar hi jaayein’: Women paraded in Ludhiana narrate horror

On Wednesday, purported videos of the alleged incident—which reportedly took spot connected Tuesday—from a garment mill successful Ludhiana’s Bahadurke roadworthy went viral, prompting constabulary to enactment swiftly.

Speaking with The Indian Express, the woman, a autochthonal of Uttar Pradesh, said, “I came to Ludhiana 1 twelvemonth agone to gain my livelihood. For the past 5 months, my 2 nieces, my girl and I person worked successful this mill for Rs 8,000 monthly. That day, the proprietor accused america of stealing apparel from the factory. During lunchtime, we were called to his office, and helium said ‘aap log chor ho‘ (you radical are thieves). When we denied it, we were beaten bluish and achromatic with sticks and dragged retired of the factory. A younker from our village, besides employed astatine the garment factory, was called and we were thrashed similar animals.”

“They snatched our phones. We kept crying ‘Hum chor nahi hai… hum chor nahi hai (we are not thieves)’. Soon, a antheral came and painted our faces black. Soon different antheral came holding placards with ‘main chor hoon‘ written connected them. I kept begging to spare the girls astatine least. My elder niece is getting joined soon. I kept begging the proprietor to delight cheque CCTV cameras installed successful the factory, and punish america if we were recovered stealing clothes, but helium did not perceive to us. We begged earlier him, folding our hands and touching his feet, but helium showed nary mercy,” the unfortunate pistillate said.

“Hamara mooh kaala karke, humein idhar udhar galiyon mein ghumaya. Sab aas paas ke log tamasha dekhte rahe. Kisi ne nahi roka (after blackening our faces, they paraded america into the streets. People kept watching us, but nary 1 came to our rescue). Instead, onlookers followed us, shouting ‘dekho chor aa gaye, chor aa gaye‘ (thieves person come),” she said and cried inconsolably.

The pistillate said compelled by the circumstances, she came to Ludhiana for enactment arsenic her hubby abandoned the family, leaving her to fend for herself.

Her girl told The Indian Express, “I near my studies to enactment my mother. Bas uss samay to mann kiya ki mar hullo jaayein..hum chor nahi hain (We felt we should person alternatively died. We are not thieves).”

Police identified the garment mill proprietor arsenic Parwinder Singh, who runs ‘Deep Collection’ garment manufacturing unit. He is “still absconding”, but constabulary arrested his 2 staffers Manpreet Singh, the mill manager, and Mohammad Kaish, a worker.

The trio was booked astatine the Basti Jodhewal constabulary presumption nether sections 127 (wrongful confinement), 356 (defamation), 74 (assault oregon transgression unit to a pistillate with intent to outrage her modesty), 75 (sexual harassment), 61 (2) (criminal conspiracy), and 3 (5) (criminal enactment done by respective persons successful furtherance of communal intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

Basti Jodhewal SHO Inspector Jasbir Singh said: “We person formed teams to apprehension the mill owner. He volition beryllium arrested soon. More sections whitethorn beryllium added to the FIR arsenic the probe progresses. We are yet to verify the ages of the 3 girls. Sections related to employing kid labour volition beryllium added if they are recovered to beryllium minors.”

State women sheet chief, kid rights assemblage main conscionable victims

Punjab State Commission For Women chairperson Raj Lali Gill and Punjab Child Rights Commission president Kanwardeep Singh visited the aggrieved household connected Thursday.

They besides met Ludhiana Police Commissioner Kuldeep Singh Chahal and took banal of the probe.

Kanwardeep Singh said, “It is unfortunate that a insignificant miss was reportedly moving successful a factory. This mill proprietor has acceptable a incorrect precedent by giving Taliban-style punishment to the family. Our Constitution is supreme. No 1 tin instrumentality the instrumentality into his hands. We are rescuing and rehabilitating kid labourers moving successful factories crossed the state.”

Gill said, “I met the household and their statements person been recorded. The victims said they were brutally beaten up with sticks. They firmly said that they did not bargain anything. They were humiliated to an extreme. Some persons from the mill broke unfastened the doorway of their location and took distant immoderate apparel claiming they were stolen. When the girls said that they bought those apparel from a shop, past the apparel were returned. The accused besides snatched their phones and watches. One miss is simply a minor. The accused besides snatched their occupation cards. According to the victims, their 2 months’ wage is besides pending. Heights of insensitivity was displayed successful this lawsuit erstwhile onlookers alternatively of rescuing the family, recorded videos and hurled humiliating comments. Police person been directed to instrumentality enactment for each offences.”