Three bonded labourers from Tiruvannamalai rescued in Karnataka

Three men from the rural district of Tiruvannamalai were rescued from sugarcane fields in Karnataka, India, and returned to their home village on Sunday. The victims - K. Murugan, a 28-year-old from Agarampallipattu, John Bosco, a 40-year-old from Navampattu, and K. Anbalagan, aged 58 - were identified by Karnataka revenue officials who conducted a search of the sugarcane farms where they had been working for several years.

According to an initial inquiry, the men had been recruited by agents to work on the sugarcane farms in Karnataka under harsh and inhumane conditions. They were given a small advance payment of between ₹10,000 and ₹15,000 before being transported to the farmland. The rescued workers recounted that they were made to live in cramped huts without access to clean water or proper sanitation facilities.

They were forced to work more than 15 hours each day, often under the threat of physical abuse from the farm owner and his men. The farm owner reportedly beat the workers if they sought shade or even drank water.

Upon their discovery, Karnataka revenue officials communicated the incident to their counterparts in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu's Collector Vandana Garg then ordered the local authorities in Tiruvannamalai to facilitate the safe return of the rescued workers. The workers were provided with release certificates, signed by the Revenue Deputy Officer (RDO) in Tiruvannamalai.

This certificate allows the men to receive financial assistance and access government programs specifically designed to aid those who have been subjected to bonded labour.