Thirty-five Nepali workers who had been held captive in the Indian state of Kashmir were rescued on Tuesday.

The victims were freed after three months of confinement. The Nepali Embassy in India and ‘Kin India’, a social organisation, brought them to the Indian capital of New Delhi.

According to the workers, they had been lured by agents, who offered them hopes of stable income. However, once they reached Kashmir, their citizenships, mobile phones and cash were allegedly confiscated and they were forced to work without pay.

The victims claimed that they were also subjected to physical and mental abuse and inhumane working conditions.

“We were promised a daily wage of Rs1,100. We were told that we would be taken to Jammu, but we were taken to Srinagar, Kashmir instead,” said 38-year-old Ranjit Chaudhary, who is one of the victims.

“The employer confiscated all our belongings and had been holding us captive for the past three months. Instead of paying us, they would physically assault and threaten us.”

Of the 35 victims, 23 are from Mahottari, nine from Sarlahi and the remaining from Dhanusha. Of them, six are minors.

The incident came to light after Saroj Ray, a social worker from Sarlahi, learned of the situation from two Nepali workers who had managed to escape from the workplace.

The Foreign Ministry, Nepali Embassy in New Delhi and ‘Kin India’ were then informed, Ray said.

The workers were given Rs7,000 as advance payment by agents to win their trust, said Nabin Joshi, president of ‘Kin India’.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police at the Consular’s Office Uma Prasad Chaturvedi, efforts are underway to book the suspects and put them on trial in coordination with the Kashmir police.

“The local police were very helpful in identifying the place the victims were held captive and rescuing them,” Chaturvedi said. “The support of Kin India and social worker Saroj Ray became crucial to accomplish the mission.”

Published on: 16 May 2024 | The Kathmandu Post