Sexually exploited girl rescued with fellow labourers

Labourers detained, not paid salaries for three years

 A construction work supervisor has allegedly raped a minor girl, impregnated her and illegally detained her along with other labourers, who protested against his acts, for almost three years at Hebsuru village, in the taluk.

The case came to light when a team of government officials from Chhattisgarh arrived at Saligrama Police Station on Monday night. The team, along with local police officials conducted a raid on the construction site of Kittur Rani Chennamma Residential School building and rescued the victims.

The accused, B Krishna, a native of Andhra Pradesh, was working as a supervisor for Aryan Constructions which is executing the Rs 8 crore building project. He had hired the labourers, belonging to Dalit communities, from Narayanpur in Chhattisgarh three years ago.

Threat

The girl, now 19-years-old, has complained that Krishna separated her from her parents and sexually assaulted her. “He exploited me and threatened of dire consequences if I inform about it to anybody. He even tore a piece of paper on which I had scribbled my father’s phone number. He detained me and I delivered a boy baby. When other labourers from my place protested against my exploitation, they were also detained and cut off from the rest of the labourers,” she said.

No salary

“He has not paid salaries to five of my sympathisers — three of them women. He used to assault them if they protested against my exploitation,” the victim added.

One of the labourers Alumaram refused to work for Krishna, so he was sent out some time back. He returned to his native Narayanpur and complained to the district officials there. The officials contacted their counterparts in Mysuru and the Deputy Commissioner directed K R Nagar taluk officials to look into the issue.

Tahsildar Shivashankarappa and Sub-Inspector led the team that rescued the labourers.
DH News Service