BERHAMPUR: A 54-year-old man and his son of R Udayagiri block in Gajapati district were rescued from alleged bonded labour and illegal confinement from a handloom unit in Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati on Tuesday.
The duo, Santiel Karado and his 29-year-old son Gamliel Karado of Ranalai village under R Udayagiri block, were working at the unit since the past five years. However, what began as a source of livelihood reportedly turned into a prolonged ordeal.
Their family claimed the duo had sought permission to visit their native village, but their requests had reportedly been denied for the past six months. Despite working continuously, they were reportedly not allowed to return home and meet their family.
Family members became worried when all communication from the two suddenly stopped for the past eight days. When Santiel’s wife received no phone calls from either of them, she informed her brother, who subsequently lodged a complaint with R Udayagiri sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Rakesh Kumar Sahoo.
Acting on the complaint, Sahoo contacted Tirupati police and shared details of the missing workers. During inquiry, it emerged that the father-son duo was allegedly kept confined illegally for the past eight days. They were reportedly denied adequate food, prevented from communicating with their family and deprived of their rightful wages, said police.
Following coordinated efforts by Odisha and Andhra Pradesh police, Santiel and Gamliel were rescued and brought to R Udayagiri. The father and son later met the SDPO and expressed their gratitude for the timely intervention.
Police have requested the Tirupati administration to initiate legal action against those responsible for the alleged exploitation and illegal confinement.