94 bonded labourers from Assam, Nagaland rescued

94 bonded labourers from Assam and Nagaland were rescued here on Saturday by police, following raids at an industrial area in the outskirts of Ahmedabad.

Police officials said that these labourers were working in several medicine manufacturing factories at Gujarat Industrial Corporation (GIDC) at Kathwada under Nikol police station area in Ahmedabad city. Police said that about a dozen children also found from the factory premises during the operation.

According to the police, these workers had been brought from Assam and Nagaland on the pretext of good “salary” and were employed in different factories at the GIDC under Nikol police station area.

Officials said that these workers were kept at different places in makeshift houses and were being exploited by one of the accused identified as Mukesh Bharwad, who works as a labour contractor. Bharwad is being grilled by the police for further information.

A police officer, who was part of the raid, said that “Bharwad is married to a girl from Assam and therefore he has resources there. In collusion with two-three local labour contractors, he brought 94 workers to Ahmedabad. This has been going on for the past three months," he said.

"So far, we have come to know that these labourers were being made to work forcefully. They wanted to go back home but the accused persons were not letting them leave. They were being treated as a bonded labourer. We got a tip-off and subsequently rescued them, said police inspector, Nikol, H B Zala.