Berhampur: Maharashtra police have rescued four youths from Berhampur, who were engaged in forced labour, from a jungle in Indupur area of Pune district in Maharashtra.
The rescued youths included Aditya Sahu, Sai Maharana and D Lingaraj of Old Berhampur area and Badal Biswal of New Bus Stand area. One Raja Appa Rao had assured them of providing jobs in a tea factory with a monthly salary of Rs 12,000 with lodging and food free of cost.
But Rao took them to Indupur of Pune district in Maharashtra in a truck a few days later and forced them to engage in fishing in a small lake surrounded by forest. He asked them to reside in a hut near the lake and forced them to work from 3 am till evening. They were provided food twice a day. The youths were beaten, if they protested.
The tragedy of these youths surfaced after Chandan Senapati, another victim of the racket, managed to escape from Indupur. He reached the main road walking through the jungle, boarded a bus to Solapur and reached Berhampur by train.
Chandan’s family members approached Berhampur MLA Bikram Panda and Berhampur SP Pinak Mishra on January 30 after he narrated the entire episode, said Chitrasen Mahapatra, a social activist who along with Gadadhar Behera, Head Constable of Bada Bazar police station who had gone to Maharashtra to bring the youths back.
Maharashtra police have arrested Raja Appa Rao. The youths are expected to reach Berhampur on Saturday, said Chitrasen.
