Case against two brothers under bonded labour act

A case was registered on Wednesday against two brothers in Thane district for forcing people to work as bonded labourers after lending them or their families money, police said. The duo, residents of Pilje village in Bhiwandi tehsil, allegedly deployed indebted members of the Katkari tribal community for work in this way.

Around 20 persons had lodged a complaint alleging that they worked in brick kilns, farms and other businesses ran by the accused brothers, but never got paid in the last over 25 years, nor were they allowed to quit the job.

The First Information Report was registered against the duo under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, said an official.

But no arrest has been made yet, he added.