Fifteen bonded labourers from Odisha freed from brick kiln in Peddapalli

Arrangements are being made to facilitate their safe return to Odisha since all of them are from Balangir district of Odisha state

Peddapalli: 15 bonded labourers including two children, who were exploited at a brick kiln in Raghavpur village of Peddapalli mandal, were freed on Friday.

Based on a complaint lodged by their family members in Odisha, district officials inspected VSR Bricks Construction in Raghavpur on Thursday and freed the labourers, who were later produced before the Revenue Divisional Office for inquiry where they displayed visible injuries and recounted their ordeal, describing how they were forced to work long hours without pay under constant threats.

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Arrangements are being made to facilitate their safe return to Odisha since all of them are from Balangir district of Odisha state.

According to an FIR lodged by the families of some labourers in Odisha, the group was lured by a local agent with the promise of fair working conditions and Rs 5,000 advance each in August.

They were informed that they would be working at a kiln in Andhra Pradesh. However, they were instead transported to the VSR firm in Raghavpur of Peddapalli.

The facility, which employs around 200 labourers, soon became a site of horror for these workers.

They alleged that they were subjected to routine beatings, denied wages, and not allowed to move or talk freely, with even their phones being confiscated to prevent contact with family.

When some of them attempted to share their conditions with relatives, they faced retaliation. Worried over their fate, the relatives in Odisha filed a police complaint with Balangir police station in Odisha, requesting immediate intervention.

The family members also approached the agent and returned the advance payment in exchange for their loved ones’ release, but he refused, they said.