Hyderabad: In an alleged case of bonded labour, 39 men were rescued from a remote fishing site in Nagarkurnool district of Telangana, where they had been reportedly forced to work under exploitative conditions.The rescue operation, carried out by revenue, labour, and police officials, unfolded in phases. On Monday, 38 men were removed from the site and given temporary shelter at a social welfare facility. Another individual was rescued on Tuesday. The victims had been allegedly confined near Malleswaram in Pentlavelli, along the banks of Krishna river. All of them were presented before the revenue divisional officer of Kollapur for verification and steps to reunite them with their families.The men, aged between 20 and 55, hailed from different states — Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. One individual was found to be from Mahbubnagar. Officials are currently working to trace the exact circumstances that led to their arrival. The case came to light after a missing persons report was filed by a family in AP, who believed their relative was being held in Kollapur. Acting on this lead, authorities uncovered the larger ring of forced labour. “It was a coordinated effort. We reached the location where the men were confined and ensured their safe rescue,” labour officer Raj Kumar told TOI.According to RDO Nagaraju, several victims named intermediaries who allegedly trafficked them to the site. “We will pursue a thorough investigation to uncover the network,” he told TOI.They were forced to engage in fishing, often under harsh conditions. According to officials, many had their phones confiscated. They lived in makeshift huts and survived on minimal food provided by locals.“We questioned them about how they were brought here, and they have provided the names of some agents involved,” said the Pentlavelli tahsildar. What’s particularly alarming is that the men were unclear about who employed them. Some have been here for only 10 days, while others say they’ve been trapped for up to six months. RDO Nagaraju confirmed that the victims would be formally released following a detailed inquiry. Preliminary accounts indicate they were not paid at all and were unaware of their legal rights or any recourse to escape their condition.
