Thirty-two, migrant labourers from Chhattisgarh, including women and children, were rescued from two factories here after they sent an SOS to their relatives on Friday.
The video clipping complaining about their plight in Sivakasi where they were staying for more than two months went viral in the social media in their State.
“An NGO, Vanmugil, here was informed about this who in turn alerted us,” said secretary of District Legal Services Authority, K. Mariappan, said.
Based on the direction of Principal District Judge, A. Muthusaratha, a “One-Stop Crisis team” led by Mr. Mariappan and three Judicial Officers, along with Sub-Collector, Sivakasi, C. Dinesh Kumar, and police team raided two cardboard boxes making units at Sukravarpatti and M. Pudupatti.
The officials found the workers from Chhattisgarh and rescued them.
The workers complained about non-payment of salary as promised by an agent, Sunil, who had brought them.
“The agent had collected the salary from the factories but had not paid them as promised,” Mr. Mariappan said.
As they wanted to return home, all the rescued persons were taken to a marriage hall in Sivakasi.
The officials have made the agent pay their salary. They would be taken to Chhattisgarh in a bus arranged by the Revenue officials.
Judicial Officers V. Paramveer, S. Santhanakumar and S. Kalyana Marimuthu, and a team of police from Anti-Human Trafficking Unit, led by its Sub-Inspector of Police, Rajeswari, were present.
