A chilling case of bonded labour has come to light in Muzaffarnagar district, where 12 workers were held captive for nearly one and a half to two years inside a factory that makes leaf plates, and were subjected to brutal torture. A joint team of police, district administration and the labour department raided the unit in Mandi village under Titawi police station limits and set all the workers free. Now safe, the freed men say the police have given them a new life.
One worker's escape blew the lid off
On Tuesday, one of the workers somehow managed to slip out over the factory wall. He went straight to the police and exposed the entire bonded labour racket running inside. Acting on the tip-off, teams from the police, administration and labour department reached the spot, raided the factory and rescued 12 workers. They had been brought in from places such as Bihar, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Nepal, lured with the promise of jobs and good earnings.
Dry rotis, snatched phones and pitbulls on watch
The accounts the rescued workers gave are enough to shake anyone. According to them, they faced beatings and abuse almost every day. The only food they got was dry rotis, and those too made of bran. Even their mobile phones and Aadhaar cards were taken away so they could not contact anyone. To make sure no one dared to flee, two pitbull dogs were kept at the factory to keep a constant watch on the workers.
Tears flow as families finally meet them
Wednesday brought an emotional scene when relatives of the rescued workers arrived in Muzaffarnagar to meet them. Seeing their loved ones in front of them after many months, and in some cases after years, the workers' eyes welled up. The families too thanked the police and administration, saying that had action not come in time, they might never have even traced their own people.
Two arrested, special teams hunting the owner
Police have arrested Shiva Tyagi and Pradeep Baliyan and sent them to jail. The factory's operator, Ankit Baliyan, is currently absconding, and two special teams have been formed to catch him. Given the gravity of the case, an SIT has been constituted that is examining the entire matter scientifically. The statements of four workers have been recorded in court, and the rest are being recorded as well. All the workers have undergone medical examination, and counselling is also under way.
A companion killed and his body stuffed in a sack
The probe threw up another spine-chilling fact. The workers allege that in November 2025 one of their companions, Topi alias Arjun, was murdered in cold blood and his body was stuffed into a sack and dumped. After this revelation, police have registered a separate murder case and stepped up the investigation.
People trapped by the lure of 10,000 to 12,000 rupees
According to the SSP of Muzaffarnagar, the accused would pick up people from railway stations, bus stops and other places by dangling earnings of 10,000 to 12,000 rupees, and sometimes 8,000 rupees, in the name of a job, and then hold them captive and torture them. Three people have already died due to the abuse, and one of the dead has been identified. Following these deaths, more serious sections have been added to the case. Two more accused are being searched for. Police are also trying to find out how the bodies of the workers who died were disposed of. Those rescued include residents of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Rajasthan, along with one person from Nepal.
Torture with heated iron and a fan-belt whip
The 12 freed men carry marks of serious injuries on their bodies. During questioning they said they had been held captive for one and a half to two years and forced to work, given only one meal a day of dry bran rotis. Iron tools were heated and used to torture them, while a fan belt was lashed on them like a whip. Several of the workers have even suffered broken ribs, and their bodies bear many deep wounds.
