Human rights body summons labour dept officials, cops after report on slavery

Taking cognisance of middayrsquos front page report on December 11 lsquoStarving for five days 20 tribals make daring escape from slaveryrsquo the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission MSHRC has summoned the Principal Secretary of Labour Department Mantralaya and the Special Inspector General of Police Nashik Range to appear before the commission on January 4 2024The senior government officials have been directed to ldquosubmit their response in writing with relevant documents upon which they intend to rely in respect of their defencerdquo reads the summons a copy of which is with middayFarmer Pankaj Khatik in whose fields the tribals were forced to workThe incidentThe Igatpuribased tribals belonging to the Katkari tribe had gone to work in the fields of farmer Pankaj Khatik in Patharwala village of Ahmednagar district They were given a meagre advance to cut sugarcane in Khatikrsquos fields and forced to live in makeshift shanties that were destroyed by unseasonal rains They also lost their belongings and rations and were forced to starve for at least five days Sources said that when the tribals asked Khatik for money to survive he refused to pay before the end of the monthLeft with no option in the second week of December the tribals decided to return to their village in Igatpuri taluka of Nashik district and called for a pickup van The van was however intercepted by Khatik who threatened them with dire consequences if they left without completing the work After some time one of the tribals approached Newasa police for help At Newasa police station Senior Police Inspector PI Shivaji Dohifade registered an FIR but without invoking relevant Acts including the crucial Bonded Labour System Abolition Act and the Schedule CastesSchedule Tribes Prevention of Atrocities ActBonded labourers at Tahsildarrsquos office in Newasa taluka in Ahmednagar after being released from bondagemidday highlighted the plight of the tribals under its campaign lsquoEnd Slavery in the Statersquo The issue was picked up by various members of the Legislative Council and by the Leader of Opposition in the ongoing Winter Session of the Maharashtra Assembly Amid a serious lack of political and administrative will the situation of tribal populations has remained unchangedMSHRCrsquos actionAfter the first of middayrsquos fourpart investigative series hit the newsstands on December 11 the MSHRC took suo motu cognisance and started proceedings on the same day It noted in the proceedings ldquoAn alarming news article appeared in midday highlighting a very shocking sorrowful incident of Igatpuri bonded labourers who were made to starve for five days were illegally detained by one Pankaj Khatik in Ahmednagar District The article further highlighted on grave lapse on the part of the police in registering their FIR and apprehend the culpritsrdquoDifferent MLCs at the ongoing Winter Session of Maharashtra Legislative Council demanding suspension of inspector Shivaji Dohifode at Newasa police station for not invoking proper Acts in the case The car of accused Pankaj Khatik who blocked the way of the pickup van carrying bonded labourers in Ahmednagar Tribal activist Gokul Hilam shows a copy of the FIR and General Diary with a mention of relevant Acts which were invoked only after they staged a sitin protest at Newasa police station Unseasonal rain destroyed the shelters of bonded labourers at their workplaceldquoApparently the Labour Department as well as police have turned a blind eye to this unfortunate boiling issue of bonded labourers Therefore by invoking powers under Section 121 of the Protection of Human Rights Act suo motu cognizance of the news article is taken by the Commission The incident clearly makes out a case of violation of human rights of the victims at the hands of the concerned stakeholder departmentsrdquo noted the MSHRC in its proceedingsMSHRC chairperson KK Tated and member MA Sayeed immediately issued an order to summon ldquoa the Principal Secretary Labour Department Mantralaya Mumbai to constitute a team of experts to conduct a factfinding inquiry and submit a report on or before the next schedule date and b Spl Inspector General of Police Nashik Range to conduct factfinding inquiry by particularly focusing on the alleged serious lapse on the part of the concerned police in registering proper FIR against the culprits and why there was negligence in conducting fair impartial investigation and submit report on or before the next schedule daterdquo The concerned officials have to submit their reports on or before January 4 2024