Fearing raid, brick kiln owner abandons 18 bonded labourers

On Thursday morning, a team from Acharapakkam police were on patrol duty when they noticed a group of people, some of them crying, on the road at Tholupedu near Acharapakkam. They informed the police team that they were bonded labourers at the kiln and the owner abandoned them fearing raid.  

On information from police, Revenue officials visited the spot and arranged their stay at e-Sevai Maiyam at Acharapakkam. 

After preliminary inquiry, police said that all the 18 labourers were from five families and were staying at Thandalam and Acharapakkam in Kancheepuram district. They had come to the brick kiln for work five years ago. An NGO in Thiruvallur had alerted the Revenue officials about the labourers in the brick kiln a few days ago, following which a team of officials had planned to conduct a surprise raid. 

“But, the information was leaked and the owner ferried all of them on a mini-lorry and dropped them near Acharappakam and fled,” a police official said. All the labourers were sent to their respective homes.