By: International Justice Mission (IJM)
A rescue from modern slavery.
Back in October 2025, a “recruiter” lured the victims to the tyre rim factory with generous payment advances, which he said they could repay through their labour. Instead, the factory owners forced them to work 12- to 15-hour days in harsh conditions to make tyre wheels for name-brand scooters.
Life at the factory was brutal. The victim’s phones were seized and they were never allowed to leave the factory premises, sleeping on the floor in a room attached to the worksite. The victims reported being assaulted and threatened by a labour contractor and two of his associates. They said 10 to 14 other workers had fled the factory recently due to ongoing exploitation.
The labourers reached a breaking point when the 16-year-old boy got his hand trapped in the factory’s heavy machinery. The owner quietly took the boy to a hospital to stop his bleeding but forced him back to work shortly after.
The incident terrified the other workers, and they realised how urgently they needed help. When the supervisor mentioned the need for additional labourers, one of the victims requested access to his confiscated phone to recruit some. He then secretly narrated their plight to Google AI on his smartphone, which suggested reporting the case to the district government, to police, or to IJM’s local partner. He managed to secretly contact their team and report the abuse.
A multidisciplinary rescue team—comprised of officials from the Labor Department, district administration, police, India Labourline, IJM and our partners—arrived at the factory on 4 February 2026 to investigate the case and free the trapped workers. Authorities brought the seven victims to safety but were reluctant to file charges against the powerful factory owners until the NGOs present advocated the seriousness of the alleged abuse.
Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) to initiate charges under India’s penal code and Bonded Labor System Abolition Act. Two suspects have been officially arrested, and a third is currently absconding. Police are actively working to trace and apprehend him.
Officials had also initially objected to providing Release Certificates to the seven victims—which would formally identify them as bonded labourers and provide rehabilitation benefits—but several days later, they complied and issued the forms. These crucial documents will entitle the survivors to long-term protection and support from the government as they heal.
Following the rescue
IJM’s partner coordinated safe temporary shelter for the seven survivors and safe transportation back to their hometowns. Our team will help provide long-term rehabilitation support, particularly for the 16-year-old boy navigating his injuries.
An IJM staff member described, “Unlike routine rescues, this operation involved multiple challenges. However, the Labor Department pursued the matter until the due process was completed. [This boy] lost his three fingers, but not his dignity. Exploitation is a crime, no matter how powerful the exploiter.”
Article supplied with thanks to IJM
IJM is committed to protecting the dignity, privacy and safety of vulnerable people. Names, details and images may be changed or represented by actors to protect identities. All stories and images are used with informed consent and safeguarding practices.
Feature image: Supplied (IJM Australia)
