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Tribal man forced into labour without pay for 3 decades in K’taka, 1 held
Police in Udupi district have arrested a woman accused of forcing a member of a Scheduled Tribe community to work as a bonded labourer for nearly 30 years at a village in Kundapura taluk, officials said
Police in Udupi district have arrested a woman accused of forcing a member of a Scheduled Tribe community to work as a bonded labourer for nearly 30 years at a village in Kundapura taluk, officials said.
The victim, now 65, belongs to the Koraga community and was allegedly made to work under exploitative conditions for decades at Kabbailu in Kanyana village, said police.
Deputy superintendent of police HD Kulkarni said the woman was arrested and remanded to judicial custody on Thursday evening for violating provisions of the law relating to bonded labour. “The victim belonging to the Koraga community had been kept as a bonded labourer for nearly 30 years and was subjected to inhuman treatment during that period,” Kulkarni said.
Investigators said the man was initially employed about three decades ago as a domestic worker by Subbanna Shetty, a resident of Kabbailu near Hemmadi in Kundapura taluk. After Subbanna Shetty’s death, his daughter Rajani Shetty and her husband Karunakara Shetty allegedly continued to compel him to work at their house.
According to the police, the man was assigned a range of tasks on the property, including tending cattle, carrying out agricultural labour, cleaning cattle sheds and maintaining the household toilet.
Kulkarni said the victim was allegedly denied proper wages and basic facilities during this period. “He was made to sleep in the cattle shed and was not allowed to leave the premises. During this period he was subjected to harassment and exploitation,” the officer said.
The case surfaced after a complaint was filed alleging prolonged exploitation of the tribal man, prompting police to begin an investigation.
A case has been registered at Kundapura Rural Police Station, and Rajani Shetty has been arrested in connection with the incident. Kulkarni is leading the investigation.
Police said the accused has been booked under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, including Section 3(1)(h), which deals with atrocities against members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
Investigators said the section was invoked because the accused allegedly subjected the victim to physical and mental abuse despite knowing that he belonged to a ST community.
Inspector Santosh Kaikini of Kundapura Rural Police Station said the accused was produced before a court after her statement was recorded by the police on Thursday evening.
