CHENNAI: Perhaps for the first time since the implementation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, a man, who had engaged six persons as bonded labourers in his rice mill in Tirukazhukundram, has been convicted and sentenced to undergo rigorous imprisonment for three years.
Justice P Velmurugan, who awarded the sentence, also imposed a total compensation of Rs 3 lakh, to be paid to the six labourers at the rate of Rs 50,000 each, on Tuesday.
Originally, Selvakumar the owner of the rice mill, against whom the local police had registered a case for offences under the Bonded Labour Abolition Act and the Prevention of Atrocities Against SC/ST Act, was acquitted of the charges by an order dated July 30, 2012, of the District and Sessions Judge in Chengalpattu.
The PSJ found that the accused was not guilty on technical grounds and that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubts. Giving the benefit of doubt, he ordered his acquittal. Aggrieved, one Manjula, one of the victims, moved the Madras High Court with a criminal appeal to set aside the judgment of acquittal made by the trial Court.
After finding that the charges against the accused were proved and allowing the appeal, Justice P Velmurugan on August 22 set aside the trial court’s July 2012 order and convicted Selvakumar for offences under Sections 16 and 17 of the Bonded Labour Act. The judge, however, acquitted him from the offence under Section 3(1)(x) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Ac. The judge also directed Selvakumar to appear before him on August 28 for questioning him about the sentence to be imposed.
Accordingly, Selvakumar appeared before the judge on Tuesday and denied all the allegations levelled against him. Finally, he pleaded the judge to acquit him from the case or at least to treat the imprisonment already undergone as sentence and order his release.
Considering the serious nature of the offence, the judge said that he finds no mitigative circumstances to show any leniency. He imposed the sentence of three-year jail along with a compensation of Rs 50,000 payable to each of the victims, who had already been released from the clutches of Selvakumar by the local RDO. The judge also directed the Tirukazhukundram police to secure the custody of Selvakumar and confine him in the central prison in Puzhal to undergo the sentence.