BERHAMPUR: Kashipur police in Rayagada district have rescued four migrant labourers from Kudukipadar village who were allegedly detained at a prawn factory in Andhra Pradesh. The labourers, identified as Mohan Majhi (26), Muna Majhi (19), Gurubaru Majhi (19), and Judhistir Majhi (20), returned home under police custody on Wednesday.
The four persons had left their homes in December 2023 in search of work. They were lured by a middleman to Singavaram in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh, where they were employed at a prawn factory. Despite being promised a monthly wage of Rs 15,000 each, the factory owner failed to pay them, offering various excuses. Instead, the labourers were provided only with cooking materials.
In April 2024, when the labourers demanded their wages, the factory owner confiscated their mobile phones and placed them under constant watch by local henchmen, preventing them from leaving and subjecting them to physical abuse if they attempted to escape.
Last week, the labourers managed to contact an outsider who called their families. Social worker Bijay Dash then alerted Kashipur police. A team from Kashipur police station, along with local police, reached Singavaram and rescued the labourers.