Mangaluru: In a clear case of human trafficking and bonded labour that came to light in Mangaluru, four workers from Odisha who were brought to work here in the city were rescued on Wednesday.
Thanks to officials of the child welfare committee, Childline, the police and activist Vidya Dinker, four of them, one of whom is a minor were rescued from the baking unit of Cream Caramel on Arya Samaj Road, on Wednesday, January 13.
Speaking to newskarnataka.com, Vidya Dinker said that it is a clear case of human trafficking. Several tribal and non-tribal youth are being brought to Mangaluru and are made to work under such circumstances.
The four were kept in wrongful confinement and were made to work for long hours, without any leisure. Their Aadhaar cards were confiscated by the employers and over the last five months they were not even paid their salaries.
While three, aged about 16-17 years were made to toil in the baking unit and were also made to double as domestic helps in the owners’ houses, a 14-year-old girl was employed as domestic maid in one of the owners’ house.
Vidya points that the four were brought five months ago from Angul district of Odisha as one of the owners personally went to Odisha to get workers for the unit.
Out of the four two are tribals and two are non-tribals.
Pressing for police action against owners under the IPC section 370 pertaining to buying or disposing of any person as a slave, Vidya insisted that the DC too must take action against this case under the Boned Labour Act.
“The youth must be given their full wages and must be sent back home,” she said demanding appropriate action against owners under Juvenile Justice Act for employing a minor child,” she said.
As per eyewitnesses the two owners of the unit were seen confessing that they had committed a mistake.
