MADURAI: Taking serious note of the inaction by the former Thoothukudi district collector and superintendent of police on a complaint filed by a woman, seeking to rescue her son who was a bonded labourer in Gujarat, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the SP to depute a team to rescue all persons employed as bonded labourers at a shop in Gujarat.
A bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and J Sathya Narayana Prasad was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by A Vasantha of Thoothukudi, seeking to rescue her son Ayyanar. The petitioner’s counsel submitted that Ayyanar went to Chennai for work 16 years ago, following which Vasantha lost contact.
She later learned that Ayyanar was working as a bonded labourer in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad district. The court learned that Ayyanar was forced to work, was beaten up and verbally abused often and would be fed only at certain intervals. While his salary was fixed at Rs 50 per day, he had not seen any money in nine years. Along with Ayyanar, four other youth from Tamil Nadu were also staring at a similar situation.
The court directed SP to depute a team to Gujarat to rescue all persons kept in illegal confinement, and told the SP to file a report about action taken in compliance with directions. Thoothukudi collector may also file an affidavit regarding the compliance of directions and instructions given to comply with directions of this court.
The court also recorded their strong displeasure at the attitude of the district collector and the superintendent of police in not dealing with the issue when the petitioner turned to them for help.
The collector may also give details about any scheme for providing compensation to such persons from the district, who have been taken away to an unknown place and forced to work for years together. The court was also informed that a police personnel from the East police station in Kovilpatti had detained Vasantha and threatened her.
The SP may also specifically direct the policeman from the station not to interfere with the petitioner’s peace. Further orders relating to the allegations on the conduct of the police officials of the station would be passed on September 19.