Thane: Twenty-six bonded labourers along with their family members, totalling 48 persons, have been rescued from a charcoal-making unit in Pune district, an official said on Friday. Acting on the complaint of the victims, all from Maharashtra’s Raigad district, police booked one Sayaji Bandalkar who allegedly subjected them to forced labour, the official said.
For the charcoal unit at Girvi village in Indapur tehsil of Pune district, Bandalkar allegedly forced the men to bring wood from the jungle, while women and children were held captive at the site and often made to work in farms.
After learning about the plight of the bonded labourers, the non-profit Shramajeevi Sanghatana worked with the authorities and ensured the rescue of the 26 bonded labourers along with their family members – altogether, 48 persons.
While Bandalkar has been booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, Indapur tehsildar has issued documents to the labourers, freeing them from their bonded status, the official added.
