Bonded labourers, including six children, rescued from brick kiln in Bagalkot

As many as 34 bonded workers, including six child labourers, were rescued by Bagalkot district administration officials during a recent operation.

The team, led by Deputy Commissioner Sangappa, district Labor Welfare officer Ramesh and police personnel, rescued 34 bonded laborers, all from Odisha, from a brick kiln in the district.

The workers had been held captive at the bakery since November 2025. Workers, including children, were forced to work more than 16 hours a day, with almost no breaks. The family was not allowed to leave the bakery.

Susheela, director of NGO Spandana, said in a statement that exploited slave workers never received the wages they were promised.

The person who employed them was running away with the victims’ Aadhaar cards. The police registered an FIR based on the complaint, the statement said.

They were promised 20,000 to 30,000 Indian rupees, but they received only 8,000 Indian rupees. The victims said that the bakery owner and his son physically and verbally abused them.

The rescued workers were currently staying in a government hostel and would be sent back to their native villages once the formalities were completed.

Since December 2025, 99 people have been rescued from captivity at three brick kilns and one sugarcane farm in Bagalkot District. In the statement, it was stated that this year is the 50th anniversary of the Debt Labor System (Abolition) Law coming into force.