Bonded labour case: 12 families rescued in Chennai

Chennai | Desk: Twelve families from Chhattisgarh were rescued on Saturday from a private brick kiln in Kannur village, Tiruvallur district, Chennai, where they were allegedly being held in conditions of bonded labor. The rescue operation was conducted jointly by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the International Justice Mission (IJM).

The action followed a complaint received from the Assistant Labour Welfare Commissioner of Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh, stating that several families from his state were being held as bonded laborers in Kanchipuram and surrounding areas.

During the inspection, 25 workers present at the KDM brick kiln alleged that they had been working without wages for over a month. They complained that they were forced to work from 6 am to 7 pm daily and were not even provided with basic amenities like food and drinking water.

K. Nalinidevi, Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority, said that the rescued individuals have been taken to a safe location and their health is being checked.

Officials said that the process of opening bank accounts for the laborers who do not have them has been initiated. Release orders will be issued soon, and arrangements will be made to send all the families back to Chhattisgarh.

(Symbolic Photo)