📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Yann (talk)
Crime
Bihar Workers Deceived in Lucknow, Sent to Ratlam for Forced Labor
✍️ Amar Ujala · Madhya Pradesh
🗓 08 Oct 2026, 03:15 PM
👁 16
Around a dozen laborers from Gopalganj, Bihar, were lured to Lucknow with false job offers and forced to travel to Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, where they were made to work under a coerced mortgage.
In Lucknow, a group of roughly twelve workers from Gopalganj district in Bihar were promised employment that turned out to be a ruse. The men were taken to the capital city under the pretext of a job placement, after which they were dispatched to Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh.
Upon arrival in Ratlam, the workers say they were compelled to sign mortgage agreements that effectively bound them to the employer. The labourers allege that the terms were imposed under duress, leaving them with no realistic option to refuse.
A video recorded by the workers has been circulated on social media, pleading for assistance and exposing the alleged fraud. Following the video, the Bihar Bhawan in Lucknow lodged a formal complaint with the Ratlam administration, demanding immediate rescue of the laborers and a thorough investigation into the illegal recruitment and forced‑labour practices.
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh have been asked to intervene, but as of now no official response has been reported. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about interstate labour trafficking and the need for stricter enforcement of employment regulations.
Upon arrival in Ratlam, the workers say they were compelled to sign mortgage agreements that effectively bound them to the employer. The labourers allege that the terms were imposed under duress, leaving them with no realistic option to refuse.
A video recorded by the workers has been circulated on social media, pleading for assistance and exposing the alleged fraud. Following the video, the Bihar Bhawan in Lucknow lodged a formal complaint with the Ratlam administration, demanding immediate rescue of the laborers and a thorough investigation into the illegal recruitment and forced‑labour practices.
Authorities in Madhya Pradesh have been asked to intervene, but as of now no official response has been reported. The incident highlights ongoing concerns about interstate labour trafficking and the need for stricter enforcement of employment regulations.