BHOPAL: Eleven people have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh's Guna district after 16 mentally challenged and destitute men - some held captive for nearly two decades - were rescued from slavery and bonded labour in two villages around 80km from the district headquarters.
Police are calling this modern-day slavery. The victims were found living in inhumane conditions in Binaganj and Cachoda areas - 150km from Bhopal, close to the Rajasthan border -- and forced to work without pay.
"They were treated worse than animals," an officer involved in the rescue said. The victims were trapped under a local exploitation system known as 'Rahua', a term derived from the regional dialect meaning 'Raho aur Khao' -"stay and eat." But behind the seemingly benign phrase lies a brutal form of bondage. Victims were forced to work long hours in return for nothing more than leftover food and a place to sleep, often among cattle. There were no wages, no basic rights, and no way out.
Most of the men had been trafficked after being found wandering on highways or abandoned by truck drivers. Once in captivity, they were roped into a network of forced labour across agricultural fields, cattle sheds, brick kilns, roadside eateries, and homes. Stripped of their identities, they toiled for years in silence. The rescue operation, conducted jointly by the labour department, district police, revenue, and municipal officials, exposed the full extent of the abuse and the trafficking network behind it.
"We have arrested 11 people and are looking for another accused. Investigations are on to trace their origins and the people involved in trafficking them," Guna SP Amit Soni told TOI.
'Will hunt you down & punish if you try to escape': Bonded labourers threatened for making bid to flee
One of the rescued men said he once worked at a govt facility but lost his way during travel. A stranger befriended him, only to betray him, hold him captive and then force him into slave labour. He was made to clean cattle sheds and collect dung, and was beaten every time he resisted or fell ill.
Another survivor recalled being lured with food and shelter when he was a destitute - but was instead enslaved for years. He was not allowed to leave the premises and was constantly watched. His captors allegedly threatened that he would be 'hunted down and punished' if he tried to escape.
Yet another victim, who had once worked in a small eatery in a nearby state, said he was picked up while hitchhiking and brought to Binaganj under false promises of work. There, he was made to feed buffaloes, clean dung, and work from dawn till night without payment. He slept on the bare ground near livestock and was fed only stale roti and water.
District collector Kishore Kumar Kanyal said 16 rescued men have been shifted to care centres in Shivpuri, where they are receiving medical and psychological support. "We are trying to trace their families and ensure long-term rehabilitation," he said.
Police and medical staff found the victims in a shocking state - malnourished, barefoot, and mentally disoriented. Many showed signs of trauma, had untreated wounds, and could not remember their names or native places. Some had not bathed for months and had been denied access to toilets or soap.
The simultaneous raids, carried out early Friday morning across a dozen villages in Binaganj and Cachoda areas, were part of a broader investigation into illegal confinement and bonded labour. Five dedicated teams, comprising officials from police, revenue, and municipal departments, are continuing the operation in surrounding areas.
After initial medical screening at Binaganj health centre, the victims were moved to Apna Ghar Ashram in Shivpuri.
The rescued men hail from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, and Jharkhand - highlighting the interstate scale of the trafficking network. Officials suspect that more victims remain hidden and are determined to intensify the investigation.
This isn't the first time Guna district has made headlines for such atrocities. In 2021, 20 bonded labourers, including 11 minors, were rescued after five of them were allegedly forced to dip their hands in boiling oil to retrieve coins as punishment for spilling jaggery. Some of them managed to escape and inform police.
Police are calling this modern-day slavery. The victims were found living in inhumane conditions in Binaganj and Cachoda areas - 150km from Bhopal, close to the Rajasthan border -- and forced to work without pay.
"They were treated worse than animals," an officer involved in the rescue said. The victims were trapped under a local exploitation system known as 'Rahua', a term derived from the regional dialect meaning 'Raho aur Khao' -"stay and eat." But behind the seemingly benign phrase lies a brutal form of bondage. Victims were forced to work long hours in return for nothing more than leftover food and a place to sleep, often among cattle. There were no wages, no basic rights, and no way out.
Most of the men had been trafficked after being found wandering on highways or abandoned by truck drivers. Once in captivity, they were roped into a network of forced labour across agricultural fields, cattle sheds, brick kilns, roadside eateries, and homes. Stripped of their identities, they toiled for years in silence. The rescue operation, conducted jointly by the labour department, district police, revenue, and municipal officials, exposed the full extent of the abuse and the trafficking network behind it.
"We have arrested 11 people and are looking for another accused. Investigations are on to trace their origins and the people involved in trafficking them," Guna SP Amit Soni told TOI.
'Will hunt you down & punish if you try to escape': Bonded labourers threatened for making bid to flee
One of the rescued men said he once worked at a govt facility but lost his way during travel. A stranger befriended him, only to betray him, hold him captive and then force him into slave labour. He was made to clean cattle sheds and collect dung, and was beaten every time he resisted or fell ill.
Another survivor recalled being lured with food and shelter when he was a destitute - but was instead enslaved for years. He was not allowed to leave the premises and was constantly watched. His captors allegedly threatened that he would be 'hunted down and punished' if he tried to escape.
Yet another victim, who had once worked in a small eatery in a nearby state, said he was picked up while hitchhiking and brought to Binaganj under false promises of work. There, he was made to feed buffaloes, clean dung, and work from dawn till night without payment. He slept on the bare ground near livestock and was fed only stale roti and water.
District collector Kishore Kumar Kanyal said 16 rescued men have been shifted to care centres in Shivpuri, where they are receiving medical and psychological support. "We are trying to trace their families and ensure long-term rehabilitation," he said.
Police and medical staff found the victims in a shocking state - malnourished, barefoot, and mentally disoriented. Many showed signs of trauma, had untreated wounds, and could not remember their names or native places. Some had not bathed for months and had been denied access to toilets or soap.
The simultaneous raids, carried out early Friday morning across a dozen villages in Binaganj and Cachoda areas, were part of a broader investigation into illegal confinement and bonded labour. Five dedicated teams, comprising officials from police, revenue, and municipal departments, are continuing the operation in surrounding areas.
After initial medical screening at Binaganj health centre, the victims were moved to Apna Ghar Ashram in Shivpuri.
The rescued men hail from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, and Jharkhand - highlighting the interstate scale of the trafficking network. Officials suspect that more victims remain hidden and are determined to intensify the investigation.
This isn't the first time Guna district has made headlines for such atrocities. In 2021, 20 bonded labourers, including 11 minors, were rescued after five of them were allegedly forced to dip their hands in boiling oil to retrieve coins as punishment for spilling jaggery. Some of them managed to escape and inform police.
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