Regarding the murderous attack and mutilation of released bonded labour family in District Tarn Taran – request for immediate action to protect the life and liberty of released bonded labourers (Code: PB-TT-21, Date: 04-Jan-2016 )

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Case Title

Case primary details

Case posted by Dalit Dasta Virodhi Andolan
Case code PB-TT-21
Case year 04-Jan-2016
Type of atrocity Begar or other forms of forced or bonded labour
Whether the case is being followed in the court or not? No

Fact Finding

Fact finding date

Fact finding date Not recorded

Case Incident

Case Incident details

Case incident date 04-Jan-2016
Place Village: Not recorded
Taluka:Not recorded
District: TARN TARAN
State: Punjab
Police station Khalra
Complaint date 31-Dec-2016
FIR date 03-Jan-2016

Case brief

Case summary

  1. That Volunteers for Social Justice (“VSJ”), a registered charity, is a social action group working for the eradication of the bonded labour system in the State of Punjab for over 3 decades.
  2. That, VSJ has received information through one Smt Sukhwiner Kaur W/o Nirmal Singh, a former staff member of VSJ and an activist working in Tarn Taran that a family of bonded labourers, released earlier in 2015 were attacked by the former employers and bonded keepers on 29th December 2015. The full information of the case as received by the undersigned on visit to the spot and meeting with bonded labourers is given hereunder;

                                 I.            Details of victims and alleged perpetrators:

Bonded Labour Family:

  1. Rasal Singh
  2. Dalbir Kaur, wife of Rasal Singh
  3. Paramjeet Kaur, Daughter – aged 14
  4. Manpreet Kaur, Daughter – aged 12
  5. Amritpal Kaur, Daughter – aged 10
  6. Kirandeep Kaur, Daughter – aged 08
  7. Gursharan Singh, son – aged 9

Caste: Mazhabi Sikh (Scheduled Caste in the State of Punjab)

Permanent Address: Village Narli, Tehsil Patti, District Tarn Taran.

Place of incidence: Village Narli, Tehsil Patti, District Tarn Taran.

Accused / Perpetrators

  1. Owners/Occupiers and all partners of the brick kiln M/s GURSEWAK BRICKS INDUSTRY
  2. Bakhshish Singh S/o Jarnail Singh
  3. Tarlok Singh S/o Jarnail Singh
  4. Balwinder Kaur W/o Bakshish Singh
  5. Bobby S/o Bakshish Singh

Permanent Address: Village Marhi Udho under police station Khalra, Distt Tarn Taran

Caste: Jat Sikh

Timeline:

2012-2013

Rasal Singh employed along with family at brick kiln M/s GURSEWAK BRICKS INDUSTRY situated at village Dasuwal, police station Valtoha, Tehsil Patti, Distt Tarn Taran as brick molders after payment of debt advance. The family is not paid their due wages thereafter for their work at the brick kiln.

June 2014

Brick Kiln owner demands bonded debt to allow them to return to their village. Worker family is unable to repay the bonded debt. Brick Kiln owner sells the family to a landlord – namely Bakhshish Singh S/o Jarnail Singh - as farm hands and caretakers of cattle in the dairy farm of the landlord. Bakshish Singh is well known locally to be an international drug smuggler as his farm being close to the Indo-Pak border. NO wages are paid for their work and the workers are kept in pathetic conditions.

22 Jan 2015

Complaint made to Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Patti (District Tarn Taran) for release from bondage. Complaint made through activist Sukhwinder Kaur W/o Nirmal Singh of Tarn Taran.

Date not available

SDM, Patti conducts a raid on the farm house and the workers are released from bondage after the spot inquiry.

29 Dec 2015

At 8 PM, the landlords / former employers of Rasal Singh, Bakshish Singh, along with his sons , his wife Balwinder Kaur looked over, with 5 other unidentified persons enter his house and attach him with sharp weapons. Rasal Singh’s skull was cracked open. His daughter Paramjeet Kaur who tried to protect her father was also attacked with sharp weapons and her and the weapon sliced through her shoulder. The attackers had carried fire arms with them and fired. The attackers left them to die. The victims Rasal Singh and his daughter were rushed to civil hospital Sur Singh in Tarn Taran but the doctors there informed them they will not be able to help much with the limitations in the hospital and referred them to Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in district Amritsar.

30 Dec 2015

The victims were then rushed to GNDH. At the Hospital, the victims were informed that they need to pay Rs 800 per person for the MLR to be prepared. They were unable to manage the expenses. They manage to beg enough money and only the daughter was able to be examined for preparation of the MLR. Later with the help of relatives even the Rasal Singh pays Rs 800 for the MLR to be prepared. Photographs of onr of the victims is herewith given as Annexure B

31 Dec 2015

Doctors suggest that surgeries need to be conducted immediately and Rs 13,000 is required for each surgery. The family is unable to bear the expenses. VSJ begins to meet with the SDM, Patti and demands immediate intervention and financial assistance from the State for the medical expenses.

 

  1. That, presently, the victims are fighting for their lives even they face there is an imminent threat from the perpetrators for further attacks.
  2. The perpetrators are not ordinary citizens but the undersigned has been informed by the victims and residents of the village that they are international drug smugglers though the Indo-Pak border and enjoy cordial relations with the local police.
  3. That, no FIR has been thus far registered.
  4. That, the facts reveal grave violation of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 and several provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Whereas, due to the influence exerted by the perpetrators over the local police, there is no action taken against them thus far in spite of such an inhumane act of such gruesome scale has been committed by them. There is complete lack of protection by the State of the life and liberty of the bonded labourers guaranteed to every citizen of this country.

Therefore, in the light of the facts mentioned above, it is most humbly prayed to the Hon’ble Commission to most graciously grant the humble prayer as below;

                                                                                                                                            i.                        The victims be granted financial assistance immediately so that the life of the victims is preserved.

                                                                                                                                          ii.                        An FIR be registered against the perpetrators under the relevant provisions of the Law as mentioned in Paragraph 6 Supra.

                                                                                                                                        iii.                        Protection be given to the victims both at the hospital as well as the home of the victims in their village

                                                                                                                                      iv.                        Any other relief that your Hon’ble deems fit and proper be given to the bonded labour family.

 

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