Balangir: A total of 52 bonded labourers were rescued by police while they were being allegedly trafficked from Kantabanji in Odisha’s Balangir district on Thursday.
According to reports, the rescued labourers, including 17 women and as many children, hail from Belpada area of Balangir district and Sinapali in nearby Nuapada in the state.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team from Kantabanji along with Government Railway Police (GRP) carried out raids at Kantabanji railway station and rescued the bonded labourers. A middleman was also held by the police.
The workers were allegedly being taken out of the state by the middleman to engage them as bonded labourers.
The rescued labourers were taken to the Kantabanji police station for further investigation, while the middleman was arrested on charges of human trafficking and under Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976.
The local administration and police made arrangements for sending the rescued labourers to their respective villages.
Human-trafficking has been on the rise in western Odisha due to lack of employment opportunities in the region.
Earlier, 27 bonded labourers were rescued by police while they were being allegedly trafficked from a village in Balangir district on October 30.
Around a three weeks ago, police had rescued 49 bonded labourers while they were being trafficked from two separate places in Balangir district. They were rescued by a joint team of Kantabanji and Belpada police. All of them were residents of Tureikela, Belpada, and Patnagarh.
