Eleven bonded labourers rescued from shoe unit

BENGALURU: Eleven bonded labourers were rescued from a shoe soles manufacturing unit in Govindpura, KG Halli on Thursday. One person was arrested in this connection. The rescue operation was conducted by the Bengaluru Ubran district administration, local police and two NGOs.

A press release from International Justice Mission (IJM) said the organisation was able to trace the bonded labourers with the help of APSA Childline. “The bonded labourers, aged between 16 and 43, are from Madhubani, Sitamarhi and Darbhanga districts in Bihar and were trafficked to Bengaluru by six different people. The labourers had worked at different factories for periods ranging from three months to four years. They were brought here at the behest of a lead trafficker, also from Bihar, who has been residing in Bengaluru for the past several years. This person controls a wide network of traffickers in Bihar who supply young men and children to him. He, in turn, supplies them to different factories in the city. He is also in charge of their wage distribution.”

“All the labourers received `100 a week consistently for petty expenses. They were given basic food, sometimes just once a day,” the release stated.
The supervisor was taken into custody from the factory and a case has been registered at the KG Halli police station. Two brothers, who are owners of the unit, and two traffickers, including the lead trafficker, are yet to be arrested.