The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognizance of the case of alleged bonded labor and inhumane treatment of laborers in Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh and sought a detailed report within two weeks. This case pertains to a paper plate manufacturing factory located in Mandi village of Muzaffarnagar, where 12 workers were allegedly made to work as hostages for about one and a half years. It is alleged that they were made to work till midnight and were not given adequate food and wages, while if they protested they were beaten up.
It is reported that a worker somehow managed to escape from the factory. After his complaint, Titavi police station took action and freed the remaining workers. Medical examination has found injuries, fractures, cut marks and evidence of prolonged physical torture on the workers' bodies. Police investigation has also revealed the death of one person. Now it is being ascertained whether there are more deaths in this case.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has said that if the claims are true then it is a case of serious violation of human rights. The Commission has also directed the District Magistrate of Muzaffarnagar to investigate the entire matter and take action under the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act, 1976. Along with this, the Commission has also directed to immediately register all the freed laborers on the e-Shram portal. This action has been asked to be taken in accordance with NHRC Advisory 2.0 (8 December 2021).
The victimized laborers are residents of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and also Nepal. It is alleged that they were brought to the factory from railway stations, bus stands and public places by luring them with jobs, regular salary, food and accommodation facilities. After reaching there, their mobile phones and identity cards were snatched away, so that they could not contact their families. The report also claims that pitbull dogs were used to scare the workers and prevent them from escaping.
