Beed: In a midnight rescue operation, the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) and the Wadwani tehsil revenue administration freed two bonded labourers from a cowshed in a village in Wadwani tehsil, where they were allegedly kept captive, assaulted and forced to work for up to 15 hours a day for the past two months, officials said in a press release.
Five other workers remain missing after the cowshed owner allegedly moved them to an undisclosed location under the cover of darkness.
Acting on a tip-off, Dinesh P Surana, Principal District and Sessions Judge and Chairman of the DLSA, Beed, directed Secretary Dr Wahab A Sayyad to initiate an immediate rescue mission through the authority’s special cell.
Legal aid volunteers Adv Tatvashil Kamble and Dnyanoba Vaybase flagged the matter to Beed Collector Vivek Johnson, who instructed the local administration to intervene immediately.
Around 11pm on September 1, Wadwani Tehsildar Vaibhav Mahendrakar, accompanied by his team and DLSA representatives, raided the premises. Despite power cuts, zero mobile connectivity and the absence of police protection, the team proceeded on its own and successfully rescued two victims. Mahendrakar sustained injuries during the operation after being bitten by a dog on the premises.
The victims told authorities that an agent had brought seven workers from Manmad on the false promise of employment, paid them only ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 and collected an advance of ₹30,000 to ₹40,000 from the cowshed management before fleeing. At the facility, the workers were allegedly made to work 14 to 15 hours a day, routinely beaten, denied phone calls to their families and threatened with death if they attempted to escape.
A case has been registered against the owner under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act.
Both rescued workers are undergoing treatment for physical trauma at the Beed District Civil Hospital. The Majalgaon Sub-Divisional Officer will issue them formal release certificates, while the District Government Labour Officer will initiate rehabilitation measures.
The revenue administration will arrange their safe return home after their discharge. Meanwhile, Wadwani police are continuing the search for the remaining five workers and the recruiting agent.
