15 bonded labourers, including two pregnant women, rescued near Ranipet 

Meghraj inspected the rice mill based on information of bonded labour and conducted inquiries with the persons present there.

Those rescued were identified as Saravanan (26), wife Sonya (21) and children Sarathi (4) and Sathya (2) and relatives Nagaraji (25) and Kumar (25) all of Gumidipoondi taluk in neighbouring Tiruvallur district. Another nine members were Rajendran (26), wives Sudha (24) and Suguna (20) and children Durga (7), Kumar (5) and Santosh (3) and relatives Suresh (33), his wife Santhi (20) and their son Banuprakash (2) all from KBR Puram in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

They were working as bonded labourers for the past four years for taking a loan of Rs 50,000. It was found that they were given only Rs 300 per week as wages.

The rescued workers were given groceries and clothes by the Katpadi branch of the Indian Red Cross Society and the sub collector also issued their release certificates.

Meanwhile, Sonya who was five months pregnant, developed stomach pain in the sub collector’s office and was rushed to the Vellore Government Medical College Hospital. IRC (Katpadi branch) secretary SN Janardhanan was present in the office.