Nikku Singh S/o Nohria Singh, Age-32 years, R/o Village-Ghabda, tehsil & District- Sangrur belongs to Majhabi Sikh caste which is declared as a Scheduled caste by the Punjab Government.

On 16^th May 2012 he was working for Hakam Khan S/o Hasna Khan, Nawab Khan S/o Kale Khan and Sani Khan S/o Goki Khan are residence of village-Gudthali, Fazal Ke Kothe, Post office-Sangrur, tehsil & District- Sangrur,  as a agriculture labourer called “Siri” bonded labourer. When he was engaged in work by the employers he was given Rs.40,000 (Forty thousand rupees) as an advance by Hakam Khan. With this advance amount he repaid Rs.30,000 (Thirty thousand rupees) to his previous employer Gurcharan Singh S/o Bir Singh who was demanding the debt from him. The remaining amount he spent for his domestic purposes for house. The employers fixed his wages Rs.60000 (Sixty thousand rupees) per annum. The employers took work from him day and night during the paddy transplantation season and after that he had to work from 4a.m to 8p.m for the employers. The employers provided him three times meal. The employer had taken his thumb impressions on many blank papers when he joined. As Nikku Singh is illiterate he did not know abou the use of these documents. The employers did not allow him any weekly rest or any leave due to any urgent work or sickness. Whenever he could attend the work due to sickness or any other purpose he was charged Rs.300/- by the employer. The fine amount was added in the advance amount and the employers charge an interest on the whole amount according to their wish. The employers never allowed him to go to his house; they took work from day and night to him. He was not paid any wages instead of advance amount. On 10/9/012 in the night time when he was working in the fields of the employers he work up till 2:30a.m and he felt tired and slept for some time in the tube well room in the mean time Hakam Khan, Nawab Khan and Sani Khan came and they started abuse him and beaten him mercilessly and went back. About 3a.m. Nikku Singh came back to his house.

Then his family members admitted him in Civil Hospital, Sangrur where he was under treatment till 13/9/012 his Admit Card Number was: 11102/593. When he demanded the Medico Legal Report from the doctors, they did not gave him a copy. When he went to the Police Chowki of Village- Valia, his complaint was not registered. Now the employer Hakam Khan is demanding the bonded debt of Rs.1,00,000 (One lakh rupees) from  him and is threatening him that if he will not pay him his wages then he will implicate him in a false case. Now the police is also harassing his family members. Now, Nikku Singh does not want to continue his services with the employers. Due to the fear of the employer he has took asylum in the Transit Rehabilitation Centre of DDVA. For his release and rehabilitation from bonded labour and bonded debt Nikku Singh has also sent a complaint to District Magistrate, Sangrur on 6^th November 2012 through registered post which is under consideration. At present Nikku Singh live in his village. Nilkku Singh is physically free and free from bonded debt.

Lakhbir singh, Aged 35, is a native of village Dalanpur in the district of Patiala. He belongs to the Majhabi Sikh caste which is a scheduled caste. His family consists of him, his wife and his two children. His wife’s name is Kulwinder Kaur (25 years old) and his son’s names are Jivanjot (8 years) and Ramandeep Singh (2 years). For the past seven years, he has been working as bonded labourer for his employer, Bittu Singh, who lives in the same village. He belongs to the caste “Jatt Sikh” which is an upper caste.

He has a big dairy farm where Lakhbir works, providing milk to Bittu Singh’s customers’ houses in the mornings & evenings. After this, he has to work in his employer’s fields. When the employer engaged Lakhbir in his work he gave him an advance of Rs,20,000/- for the first year of work. Lakhbir Singh used this money for the cremation of his mother and for domestic expenses. Bittu took Lakhbir Singh’s thumb impression on some blank papers so that he could claim a debt amount when the bonded labourer desired to leave his work.He worked  day and night for the employer, and Lakhbir was not allowed to go to home by the employer, despite it being in the same village. Further, Bittu was not paying him his wages and on the many occasions Lakhbir requested his wages from the employer, he only received Rs.200 or Rs.400/- a month. With this amount, it was very difficult for Lakhbir and his family to survive. Thus his wife would help and manage the household expenses by finding a job working as a domestic servant in different houses of her village. When Lakhbir could not attend work due to some necessary household task or because of sickness, the employer would put fine on him whatever he saw fit, and adds the charged amount to the original advance which was increasing with interest.

During the period of his work, Lakhbir’s children suffered from skin disease. His wife was also ill and she was unable to go to work. Thus, Lakhbir asked his employer to give him his earned wages so that he could provide the medical aid to his family. But Bittu did not pay him and  abusing him and beating him mercilessly with sticks until he was unconscious. A co-worker witnessed this and told Lakhbir’s family that he was in his employer’s fields in a serious condition.

To help, Kulwinder and Lakhbir’s nephew went to the employer and request him  that he allow them to take him to a hospital as he needed medical assistance.

Bittu Singh did not contribute any money towards his treatment so they took him to a government hospital. Lakhbir remained here for two days while he received treatment and to pay for it Kulwinder borrowed money from his relatives.When Lakhbir Singh was discharged from hospital and returned home he refused to go back to work. Not only had his employer beaten him and then refused to pay for treatment, he also not paid him his wages. This incensed Bittu, who went to Lakhbir’s home and tried to force him to go back to his fields. He threated that Lakhbir have to pay a bonded debt of Rs.75,000., otherwise he would implicate Lakbhir in a false case and that with the help of the concerned police, he would obtain his bonded debt. Finally, Bittu stated that if he did not pay, he would beat him again, throw his family out of his home and take possession of their house..

During a public meeting Lakhbir Singh met with a VSJ field animator to whom he narrated his story. Correspondingly, the field animator gave him information regarding the act for the release of the bonded labourers and information on VSJ. Lakhbir then approached the VSJ office in Phillaur with his family members. Lakhbir and his family still fear that the employer will take him back to work and beat him. Due to this they have had to leave their native village and have run away to take asylum in the Temporary Rehabilitation Centre of Volunteers for Social Justice. VSJ have provided medical aid to children for their skin diseases and also to Kulwinder who was also ill when they arrived at the VSJ office. They are now under treatment.

On behalf of the statement of Lakhbir Singh, VSJ has filed a complaint to the concerned Deputy Commissioner demanding for the release and rehabilitation of the family. His case is pending before Deputy Commissioner.

Chinnarasu belongs to Arunthathiyar community. He working as a  auto driver, he was driving mini auto from caste hindu Senthil kumar for  lease. On 01.09.2012 his grandmother was suffering from fever, since he took her into Ravi hospital which was located in Talaivaipattinam  by his auto. When they return to home Gopal, Ponnusamy and Vishwanathan those who were belongs to caste hindu community. They were come by bike and they were stopped his auto. They were brutally attacked and derogatory referred by caste name and they were scolded by bad words and because he not given side way / cross way to bike while he went to hospital. He said how dalit can drive auto without way to us. They were alleged brutally assaulted him and his auto were demolished and three thousand rupees were picked up from them.  Since he and his grandmother and grandfather soughed while neighbors came. These three of them escaped from that place. He admitted in hospital, then police filed a case.