KRISHNAGIRI: Nine people from Bargur and Pochampalli were arrested for extortion and wrongful confinement of nine guest workers near Gurubarapalli on Tuesday.
According to sources, A Abul Hussain (25) and his friend Ajibur Rahman (27) of Assam were working in a tiles company at Perambalur for the past two years. On April 3, when the two were getting ready to go to their home state to vote in Lok Sabha election, Nishanth and Aravind allegedly met them and told the victim that, they were from Krishnagiri and needed human resource for a biscuit factory in Kerala. They promised wage of `700 per head per day and three free meals and other benefits.
On April 24, Nishant allegedly called Abul over phone and urged him to return to Tamil Nadu. On May 3, Abdul and eight of his friends from Assam boarded a train from Guwahati and reached Jolarpettai on the night of May 5.
Then, Abul made a call to Nishant and stayed in a hotel that night. The next morning, a car reached the hotel and picked up nine guest workers for work. But the car went to a village in Somanathapuram and all nine were confined in a room. The suspects then demanded money from the workers and they Rs 2, 000. One of the workers made a call to his relative in Kerala to get some money.”
Source further added, “Gurubarapalli police received a call from a person on Monday evening explaining the plight of the workers. Police went to the spot and rescued them and also recovered the money . The workers were sent to their native on Tuesday.”
Based on a complaint from Abul Hussain, Gurubarapalli police booked IPC sections 342, 294 (b), 386 and 506 (2) and arrested The accused are identified as P Nishanth (26) of Vadamalampatti, V Aravind (21) of Kummanur, P Kalidass (33) of Valasagoundanur, R Sakthivel (38) of Modikuppam, M Mohanaperumal (27) of Vilangamudi, P Prabhu (29) of Pochampalli, M Vinoth (34) of Vettiyampatti, T Pavithran (28) of Pochampalli and S Manikandan (31) of Gurubarapalli.
They were remanded to Dharmapuri district Jail on Tuesday afternoon. Police source said Nishanth, Aravind and Prabhu were involved in a similar act in February and arrested. But they secured bail.