CHENNAI: A Chengalpattu court, recently, sentenced the driver at a rice mill to eight years of rigorous imprisonment for his involvement in holding nine members of the Irular tribal community in bonded labour and for sexually harassing one of them, a minor, bringing closure to a case that took 16 years to reach its verdict.
The Principal District and Sessions Judge T Chandrasekaran found the driver, Ekambaram, guilty under Section 16 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, Section 3(1)(xi) of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Section 354A of the IPC.
He received three years rigorous imprisonment and five years rigorous imprisonment, with the sentences running consecutively. Apart from facilitating the bonded labour, Ekambaram had subjected a then 10-year-old child to sexual harassment. The court relied on the testimony of a victim, who was a minor at the time, to hold the accused guilty of sexual harassment. Meanwhile the mill owner, Veerasamy, died during the trial.
The case dates back to February 6, 2009, when revenue officials, acting on information, raided a rice mill at Vada Kadambadi village near Mamallapuram and rescued nine persons from three Irular families.
The victims told the officials they were lured with advances of Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 and forced to work long hours for wages far below the minimum, with daily deductions toward the advance. The court noted the workers were subjected to abuse and their movement restricted, establishing the existence of bonded labour.
A total fine of Rs 7,000 was imposed, and the period already undergone in custody will be set off.