NUAPADA: Nuapada police on Saturday arrested five persons in connection with an alleged labour trafficking and exploitation case involving brick kiln workers in Uttar Pradesh.
The accused were identified as Nilkamal Chandrakar (38) alias Golu, Mulchand Sabar (35) and Sanoj Lohar (34) of Nuapada district, and Santosh Agrawal (42) and Anup Agrawal (47) from Chhattisgarh.
As per police, a woman, on condition of anonymity, lodged a complaint on Friday alleging that labour Sardars were luring poor and vulnerable families with advance payments and sending them to brick kilns in Uttar Pradesh since 2021.
As per the complainant, her relatives too were subjected to exploitative working conditions and were restricted movement while working in the brick kiln.
She alleged that in September 2024, her relatives had been forcibly taken to Barakothi village where they were assaulted and threatened over repayment of money. The family was allegedly threatened with dire consequences after refusing to work at brick kilns.
After investigation involving witness examination, spot visit and collection of evidence, police arrested the five accused under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979. They were subsequently produced in court after undergoing medical examination.
Addressing mediapersons, Nuapada sub-divisional police officer (SDPO), Khireswar Sahu said many more people have been identified to be involved in the racket and efforts are on to nab them.
“The identity of the complainant has been kept a secret for her safety. We will further intensify our action on the middlemen involved in labour trafficking from Nuapada,” he said.