MP HC directs to police to register offence in bonded labour case

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed three police stations in Seoni and Jabalpur districts to register an offence against two persons for forcing a family into bonded labour in neighbouring Maharashtra, a lawyer said on Tuesday.

Justice Vishal Dhagat issued the direction while hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by the family members of the labourers, the petitioners' counsel S N Saraf said.

The High Court directed the station house officers of Dhuma and Lakhnadaun police stations in Seoni district and Bargi police station in Jabalpur district to register a case as per law against two persons for using members of the petitioners' family as bonded labourers in Teraswadi village in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, he said.

Family members of both the petitioners were produced before the court by the police on Monday, Saraf said.

The habeas corpus petition was filed by Kamla Bai and Jamna Prasad Gond of Jabalpur district and Girwar and Laxman of Seoni district, he said.

The petitioners moved the High Court after the police did not take action on their complaints about their family members being forced to work without wages in Maharashtra, he added.

''It is submitted that said persons have been recovered from Teraswadi, Karbi tehsil of Kolhapur district in Maharashtra. It is submitted that respondent nos. 8 and 9 were using these persons as bonded labourers,'' the court order said.

The court has ordered that an offence be registered against the respondents Vir Singh Uikey alias Deepak of Navalgaon Poorwamal village in Seoni and one Vikram of Anjan (Anjandoh) village in Maharashtra's Solapur district, the lawyer said.