Ten people, who were trafficked and forced to work as bonded labourers, were rescued from two poultry farms at Channapatna recently.
When officials descended on the farm on November 23, they were shocked to see a family forced to live in a chicken coop in unhygienic conditions with the birds. Of the 10 rescued, five, including a 15-year-old boy, had been forced to work into bonded labour. The remaining were minors aged between 2 and 12. The victims had been trafficked from Nuapada district in Odisha.
‘Paid ₹50 per day’
According to officials, the families were made to work for 14 hours daily, with no holiday. The wage was just ₹50 per day, nearly six times lesser than the mandated minimum wage. The labourers said they were forced to eat chicken feed.
In one of the farms, a family was forced to live among the chickens. “Snakes and scorpions used to enter the shed and at night, I used to put my son between sacks of chicken feed to protect him from getting bitten,” said the aggrieved mother, who was rescued.
Both families said they had been ill-treated, threatened and beaten. They had been trafficked by a person who promised them a monthly salary of ₹15,000 per family and accommodation.
Taken in by the promise, the families were brought to Channapatna taluk where they were exploited for three months.
The raid was conducted by the Ramanagaram district administration, district anti-human trafficking unit, local police, and NGO International Justice Mission.
