20 bonded labourers rescued from Karnataka

Koraput: At least 20 bonded labourers including seven women from Odisha were rescued by police from Kumbhuporu village near Bengaluru today.

According to sources, all labourers are residents of Zillaguntha village under Pottangi police limits in Koraput district. They had left their village some three months back after an agent lured them to provide jobs.

However, the labourers were subjected to torture and were forced to do more work. The matter came to light after one of the labourers escaped from the contractor's camp in Karnataka and returned to Odisha.

Subsequently, a complaint was registered by the villagers following which the agent Linga Khara was arrested.

"We had formed a special team after getting complaints regarding torture of labourers. We have also arrested the agent who took them outside the State on the pretext of providing jobs," said Sunabeda Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Niranjan Behera.