District police register case against the employer
@the_news_21
Thane: The Thane District Administration on Monday freed two brothers from Paye-Naikpada in Bhiwandi from bondage and a criminal offence was registered against the employer who allegedly treated them as bonded laborers.
Bhiwandi Tehsildar Sashikant Gaikwad issued certificates to the duo brothers, Rajesh Bhoir, 24 and Bhima Bhoir, 22 stating that, they declared as bonded laborers are being freed of the bondage today and an official certificate was being issued to them to this effect. The certificate was being issued to rehabilitate them, the certificate read.
Shramajivi Sanghatana leader Vivek Pandit who has freed several bonded laborers told the media that “it is sad that even after 73 years of independence, the youth of the tribal community live a life of slavery. He advocated for a mass awakening among the tribals and the system itself to perish in the country.
The case related to the siblings who worked at Khardi village with the landlord Nilesh Tangdi at his Kailas Service centre. They were employed on a salary of Rs. 7,000 each per month. Tangdi had on May 29,2018, spent an amount of Rs. 1,19,690/-on the marriage of the two.
Later Tangdi each month paid only Rs. 1,000 for both of them. Presently due to the lockdown and as the establishment was shut the duo came down to their village to carry on their agricultural work.
However Tangdi repeatedly called them to work and when they informed him that they would come once the lockdown is lifted he refused to listen and insisted on them to report to work immediately.
At a time when they asked him to reconcile the amount spend for their marriage and pay off the wages due to them Tangdi allegedly threatened them and demanded Rs. 3 lakh from them towards the principal and the interest thereof.
Following this the duo rushed to the police station and filed a complaint against Tangdi which was converted into an FIR registered with the Bhiwandi taluka police last night the SHO at the police station said.
The police have registered offenses against Tangdi under the provisions of Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and also The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. The police also said that the police were probing into the crime and no arrest is made in this regard as of now.
