Slavery is still alive in state: 2574 bonded labourers demand relief!
Bengaluru, July 13: Even after more than 70 years of independence, the inhuman practice- bonded labour or slavery is still alive in the state. In spite of several acts brought to eradicate such social evil from the society, they have their tentacles.
The practice of working as bonded labourers in the fields of the rich is still alive in some parts of the state. Total 2574 such bonded labourers including 13 from Channapatna, representing by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, were waiting to get emancipation from slavery across the state.
Already, thousands of bonded labourers have written to the deputy commissioners and the assistant commissioners of their respective districts to relieve them from such work and to provide rehabilitation. The Jeeta Vimukta Karnataka, an organization fighting against the practice, has published a report and alleged that the practice is still alive in each district. But till date, no rehabilitation and pension scheme was applied to them, it added.
It also said that from 2010-15, there were more than 15000 bonded labourers and they were not emancipated. Their dream of getting relief from the practice was not yet fulfilled for the last many years. They believed that they could live like others if the government emancipated them and provided rehabilitation. But because of the negligence of the authorities concerned, they failed to get the relief.
Bonded labourers
From 2013 to June 2018, thousands of bonded labourers have applied for their emancipation and demanding rehabilitation across the state. The report said that 43 bonded labourers from Manvi and seven in Devadurga of Raichur district, 42 in Alandur of Chamarajnagar, two in Kadur of Chikmagalur, 17 in Kundgol of Dharwad, 840 in Sidlaghatta of Chikkaballapur, 414 in Gauribidanur, 444 in Bagepalli, 131 in Gudibande, 47 in Gundlupet in Charajnagar, 38 in Magadi of Ramanagara, 20 in Shahapur, 23 in Chittapur in Kalburgi, 150 in Ramdurga in Belagavi have applied for their emancipation. Total 14,217 persons had applied for their emancipation between 2012 and 2016, 1099 in 2017 and in the current year, 356 have applied. As per the law, only deputy commissioners or assistant commissioners should conduct the enquiry or hearing of bonded labourers as these officers are given judicial magistrate power. There is no need to file FIR and their interrogation should not be conducted in normal courts, according to the report.
The owners to be held guilty could be punished for 3 years jail and Rs 2000 penalty. Even then, the bonded labour system is alive in the state. In special cases, the penalty could be increased up to Rs 2 lakh. Physically disabled, sexually exploited, women and transgenders could be given up to Rs 3 lakh compensation. However, men will get Rs 1 lakh compensation. But there is an allegation that the assistant commissioners were not taking it seriously and providing the rehabilitations.
Officials’ apathy?
Though the concerned district administrations were given the written answers and certified them as bonded labourers as per the government’s statement in 2012, the deputy commissioners of respective districts have not taken any steps to rehabilitate them, the Jeeta Vimukta Karnataka said.
New law
The central government brought amendment to the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976 and restructured the rehabilitation scheme of bonded labourers. The compensation was increased from Rs 20,000 to Rs 50000.
‘In some districts, the assistant commissioners were not giving emancipation letters while hearing the bonded labourers. Instead, they ask the police department to serve notices to the owners to face the hearing in courts. But the owners who take notices would force the bonded labourers to take back their statements’.
- Kiran Kamala Prasad, Convener, Jeeta Vimukta Karnataka
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Three company directors held in Rs 100-crore investment fraud in Kochi
Kochi (Kerala) (PTI): Police on Sunday arrested three directors of a firm accused of cheating hundreds of investors of over Rs 100 crore through a fake investment scheme linked to agricultural tourism here, officials said.
The accused were identified as Muraleedharan, Ashik Murali and Akhil Murali, all natives of Thrissur.
The arrests were made by the Kalamassery police in connection with a fraud involving ATCOS (Agri Tourism Cooperative Society), a firm headquartered at Pathadipalam here.
Police said the company had promised high returns by collecting investments from the public in the agricultural tourism sector, but allegedly cheated hundreds of people and fled with the money.
ATCOS was registered under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act and operated 13 branches across various districts in Kerala, besides a branch in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, officials said.
When investors failed to receive their promised returns or the invested amount, complaints were filed with the police.
Officials said around 54 cases have been registered against the firm in 32 police stations across the state, including 29 cases at the Kalamassery police station alone.
Following instructions from Kochi City Police Commissioner K S Mahesh Kumar, a special investigation team was formed under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Shehensha and Thrikkakara ACP Manoj Kumar.
The team traced the accused to an apartment in Amala Nagar in Thrissur, where they had been hiding after secretly renting the flat, officials said.
The bank accounts of the accused have been frozen, and steps have been initiated to trace their assets, officials said.
Police also conducted a raid at the company’s office at Pathadipalam and seized several documents related to the case.
The accused were produced before the Judicial First Class Magistrate Court in Kalamassery, which remanded them to judicial custody and sent them to Kakkanad jail.
Police said they would seek the custody of the accused for further interrogation as the investigation continues.
