A bonded labour rehabilitation case in Guna district has escalated after a rescued woman alleged that her husband remains confined at a moneylender’s farm over a Rs 20,000 loan, while activists claimed that she has yet to receive rehabilitation assistance from the state labour department.
Reena Sehariya, 27, a resident of Nangapura Gokul Singh Chak, submitted a complaint to police alleging that moneylender Mukesh Meena of Golakhedi lent Rs 20,000 to her husband, Sandeep Sehariya, four to five months ago. She alleged that after obtaining signatures from the couple on some papers, Meena took them to his farm and made them work against the loan.
According to the complaint, the couple was allegedly required to work from 5 am to 9 pm and was not allowed to leave the farm. Reena alleged that the moneylender told them they would have to continue working until the loan and interest were repaid. The allegations have not been established in court.
Reena told police that she managed to leave during Navratri on the pretext of offering prayers, but alleged that Sandeep was not allowed to accompany her. She subsequently approached the police along with her mother-in-law, claiming that her husband remains at the farm and that Meena has refused to let him return home.
Inspector Anup Kumar Bhargava has been assigned to investigate the complaint. The report did not specify whether police had recovered Sandeep or whether any arrests had been made at the time of publication.
The case has also drawn attention to the delivery of rehabilitation support for rescued bonded labourers. Local social activists alleged that the state labour department had not provided Reena with the assistance required under the Supreme Court’s directions and the bonded labour rehabilitation framework. The report did not provide details of the amount sanctioned, the date on which assistance was requested or the department’s response to the allegation.
Activist organisations said the delay was particularly serious because Reena’s husband’s alleged confinement remains unresolved. They also raised concerns about the lack of support available to her after she left the farm. The allegations place the police investigation and the labour department’s rehabilitation response at the centre of the case.
The complaint, investigation and welfare-related allegations involve separate official responsibilities: police must examine the claim that Sandeep is being prevented from leaving, while the labour authorities are expected to address the rehabilitation needs of a person identified as having been rescued from alleged bonded labour. Further details are expected as the investigation by Inspector Bhargava proceeds.
