📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Daniel Buckles
Crime
38 Katkari tribals rescued from bonded labour at Andhra Pradesh coal site
✍️ The Times of India
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 03:20 AM
👁 5
Police and labour officials freed 38 members of the Katkari tribe who were being held in bonded labour at a coal mining site in Andhra Pradesh, and a woman gave birth to a baby named A during the operation.
Police teams, assisted by labour department officials, conducted a raid on a coal mining site in Andhra Pradesh after receiving information about illegal bonded labour. The operation resulted in the liberation of thirty‑eight individuals belonging to the Katkari tribal community, who had been forced to work under exploitative conditions.
Among those rescued was a pregnant woman who delivered a baby during the raid. The newborn was named "A" as per the mother's choice. Both mother and child, along with the other rescued workers, were handed over to local authorities for medical check‑ups and further protection.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about forced labour in the state's mining sector. Officials said they will investigate the owners of the site and pursue legal action against anyone found responsible for the exploitation.
The rescued tribals are being provided with temporary shelter and counselling, while the police continue to probe the network that facilitated the bonded labour arrangement.
Among those rescued was a pregnant woman who delivered a baby during the raid. The newborn was named "A" as per the mother's choice. Both mother and child, along with the other rescued workers, were handed over to local authorities for medical check‑ups and further protection.
The incident highlights ongoing concerns about forced labour in the state's mining sector. Officials said they will investigate the owners of the site and pursue legal action against anyone found responsible for the exploitation.
The rescued tribals are being provided with temporary shelter and counselling, while the police continue to probe the network that facilitated the bonded labour arrangement.