37-year-old confined on fishing boat rescued

A 37-year-old painter in Mumbai was rescued by the police after being wrongfully confined on a fishing trawler since September 2023. The painter was not paid and was not allowed to go home despite repeated requests. The boat owner has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

MUMBAI: A 37-year-old painter who was wrongfully confined on a fishing trawler since September 2023 and forced segregate fish was rescued by the Yellow Gate police on Wednesday.

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Identified as Dilip Rathod, the painter was from Chalisgaon in Jalgaon district. “A few people had met him at Malegaon bus stand in Nashik and told him that they would pay ₹400 per day along with free food if he worked for them. He found the offer interesting and decided to come to Mumbai,” said a police officer from the Yellow Gate police station.

Rathod was introduced to Ratilal Tandel, the owner of Rameshwari fishing trawler, in September 2023, the officer stated. “After that, he started going on fishing trips in the Arabian Sea with the boat owner and other staff members. He was assigned small jobs on the boat but was not paid any wages, nor allowed to go home despite repeated requests. When he pleaded with the owner and other staff, they threatened him and told him he should not step out of the boat,” said the officer.

On one occasion, when the trawler docked at Bhaucha Dhakka, he requested a bystander for his phone and spoke to his brother-in-law Pawan Chavan, telling him that he was confined on a boat at Bhaucha Dhakka.