CHENNAI: The Judicial Magistrate court in Thanjavur has convicted an Andhra Pradesh man in a bonded labour case involving two boys aged 10 and 13 who were brought to Tamil Nadu and made to herd ducks in agricultural fields near Thanjavur.
On May 6, the court convicted Lakshmanasamy under Section 374 IPC and Sections 16, 17 and 18 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. He was sentenced to one year simple imprisonment for each offence along with a fine of Rs.10,000.
The case surfaced on June 24, 2024 after a Child Helpline staff member alerted officials about two children allegedly being used for labour at Marungulam village in Thanjavur district. The boys, identified as Shivaji, 10, and Durgarao, 13, were both from Andhra Pradesh. Court records show Shivaji stated that his parents had received Rs.30,000 before sending him with the accused. In Durgarao’s case, the prosecution said Lakshmanasamy had initially given money to the boy’s paternal uncle for duck rearing work.
After the uncle allegedly fled, the accused approached the child’s father and asked him to send the boy instead after paying Rs.10,000. The accused brought the children to Thanjavur for duck herding work in agricultural fields operating under land-sharing arrangements. During the inquiry, officials also found that Durgarao had never attended school because of his family circumstances.
“The parents don’t even know where the child is or what is happening,” the Assistant Public Prosecutor told DT Next. The boys worked from around 5 am to 6 pm rearing ducks and were paid only nominal amounts occasionally. The court also noted that their movement was restricted and that they rarely spoke to their parents over the phone.
The FIR was registered at Vallam police station on June 29, 2024. The children were secured and initially placed in a home in Tamil Nadu before later being shifted to a home in Andhra Pradesh.
The court noted that the accused had absconded during the course of proceedings. According to the prosecution, he was later traced and secured with the help of the Anti-Child Trafficking Unit after a non-bailable warrant remained pending for months. Trial in the case commenced on April 15, 2026 and concluded within a month.
Rejecting the defence argument that there was no written agreement proving bonded labour, the court observed that the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act itself recognises that such arrangements may exist even without written documentation.
The court, however, acquitted the accused under Section 14 of the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act after holding that duck rearing does not fall under the list of prohibited occupations notified under the law.