An Additional Sessions Court in Bengaluru Rural district recently convicted and sentenced Nagaraja, 36, owner of a brick kiln in Devanahalli in Bengaluru Rural district to three years’ imprisonment and imposed a fine of ₹52,000 for confining and exploiting 12 persons from six families from 2005-08.
The rescued labourers, who hail from Balangir district in Odisha, belonged to the Sabara community, a scheduled tribe, and Luhura community, a socially backward community, as declared by the Odisha government.
According to the International Justice Mission (IJM), which had assisted the authorities concerned in the rescue operation in March 2008, the labourers were forced to work for 14 hours every day but were paid much less than the minimum wage.
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M. Prathima, who heads strategic engagement at IJM, said, “It is essential to convey to offenders that bonded labour is a punishable crime. Such judgements and convictions are positive steps forward.”
After they were rescued, the labourers returned to Odisha. An FIR was filed in March 2008 and the charge sheet in June 2009. The trial began in May 2013. The victims had travelled to Bengaluru from Odisha on two occasions to testify in the case.