
NELLORE: The Satyavedu Police in Tirupati district arrested three individuals in connection with the illegal confinement and subsequent death of a 9-year-old tribal boy, Yanadi Venkateshu.
Puttur DSP G Ravikumar disclosed the case details during a press meet held on Thursday at the Satyavedu police station.
The arrested have been identified as N Muthu (60), his wife M Dhanabhagyam (52), and their son M Rajasekhar (32), all from N Agraharam of Satyavedu mandal in Tirupati district.
According to the DSP, the boy’s mother, Ankamma, a resident of Chavatapalem in Gudur mandal, had been working as a labourer along with her partner Prakash and their three children at a farm in Duttalur mandal in Nellore district.
The family was approached by Muthu and Dhanabhagyam of NR Agraharam in Satyavedu mandal, who promised work for a monthly wage of Rs 10,000 and paid a Rs 15,000 advance.
The family worked for Muthu for a year under harsh conditions, performing agricultural tasks and herding ducks. Despite demanding a wage hike, Muthu refused. After Ankamma’s husband passed away, she returned to her native village for the final rites.
Yanadi community members face exploitation
Muthu had agreed to settle a Rs 25,000 loan if the remaining family continued working for him. When the work conditions became unbearable, Anakamma tried to leave but was told to repay Rs 45,000. Unable to arrange the money immediately, she left her son with Muthu, hoping to return with the funds.
Venkateshu pleaded with his mother to rescue him from hard labour. The last conversation took place on April 15. By the time Anakamma returned with the money, Muthu offered evasive explanations: that the boy had been sent away for work, then that he was hospitalized, and later that he had run away.
Over the next nine months, the boy was made to do strenuous work and frequently cried to return to his mother. Ankamma repeatedly pleaded for his release but was misled by Muthu. Eventually, she approached Satyavedu police on May 19 and lodged a complaint.
The police, acting swiftly under the supervision of DSP Ravikumar, registered a case under multiple laws including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act, and SC/ST Atrocities Act on May 19, 2025. Muthu, his wife Dhanabhagyam, and their son Rajasekhar were taken into custody.
Investigations revealed that Venkateshu had fallen severely ill in early April and was taken to a hospital in Pudupaalem on April 11. Despite treatment, he died on April 12. CCTV footage confirmed the timeline. Fearing legal consequences, the accused allegedly buried the boy’s body in the Palar river with the help of family members.
The body was buried in Kancheepuram in Tamil Nadu because it was Muthu’s in-laws native and Venkateshu was engaged there for duck rearing under the supervision of Muthu’s mother-in-law.
Under the supervision of the Kanchi Sub-Collector and Magistrate Rafeeq, police exhumed the body and conducted an autopsy at Chengalpattu Medical college. The DSP confirmed that all three accused have been remanded.
Tragically, Venkateshu’s story is not an isolated case. The Yanadi community has long faced systemic exploitation. Under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, practices such as offering advances, restricting freedom of movement, and preventing individuals from leaving work are criminal offences. Yet, such violations persist unchecked.
Just last month, another Yanadi couple from Nellore district, Namburu Padma and Agni, revealed they had been trapped in bonded labour for over 15 years, passed between middlemen like commodities.
In the past year, nearly 50 Yanadi individuals have been rescued from bonded labour in Andhra Pradesh and beyond. Exploitation is rampant in sectors such as duck rearing, charcoal production, brick kilns, shrimp and crab processing, and rice mills.
Duck rearers, especially small-scale or traditional farmers, practice nomadic or semi-nomadic duck rearing. Ducks are taken to fields, ponds, and water bodies where they can forage for snails, insects, leftover grains after harvest in paddy fields, and aquatic plants.
“Addressing individual cases is not enough. Andhra Pradesh must urgently develop a state action plan for Bonded Labour to monitor industries and protect vulnerable communities,” said Shaik Basheer, Executive Secretary of ARD NGO and member of the District Vigilance Committee on Bonded Labour.
NGOs like Shed India have rescued children from similar situations. Two young boys are currently recovering in shelter homes, receiving medical and psychological care. Activists warn that without comprehensive state-level reforms and enforcement, these abuses will persist. Venkatesh from the National Adivasi Solidarity Council (NASC), who has been supporting Anakamma, confirmed that officials are still investigating. The postmortem report is expected to provide clarity on how the boy died.