‘Vague, incomplete’: Haryana human rights body on police probe into Bihar teen bonded labour case

According to the report, the boy, a resident of Bihar, reportedly got stranded at Bahadurgarh Railway Station and was lured by a stranger who offered him work at his buffalo dairy farm with a promised salary of Rs 10,000 a month. But the minor was allegedly subjected to two months of forced labour and physical abuse. After the accident with the machine, the injured boy walked 150 km to Nuh — clutching his severed arm — where a teacher rescued him and informed the police.

The Commission had asked for reports from, inter alia, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Nuh where the boy was eventually found.

In the Commission’s latest order dated November 4, the status report from SP Nuh drew sharp criticism. It noted: “We have gone through the said report and are not satisfied with the same. From the bare perusal of the contents of the FIR and other accompanying documents, it is evident that the minor-victim child was taken away… on a black motorcycle from Bahadurgarh Railway Station and after travelling for about half an hour, they reached a dairy farm where the said minor victim child was compelled to work as a bonded labourer.”

The panel observed that the “abduction, illegal confinement and subsequent physical assault were all part of a continuous chain of criminal acts, which require thorough and time-bound investigation”.

Flagging the dairy farm’s location — approximately 20-25 km from Bahadurgarh — it said the report “is silent on the precise location of the incident and fails to pinpoint the exact site where the alleged chopping or cutting off of the left arm of the minor victim-child took place.”

It added, “the police report does not disclose any progress regarding the identification, tracing or arrest of the alleged culprits involved in this heinous act.”

During the hearing, SP Railways, Ambala Cantt, Nitika Gahlaut (IPS) appeared via tele-conference. The bench highlighted the lack of clarity on details of the place of the crime.

Gahlaut assured she would “personally look into the matter and ensure that all missing aspects, particularly relating to the verification of the place of occurrence, tracing of the accused persons and proper linkage of the chain of events, are thoroughly investigated.”

She undertook to submit a comprehensive report after coordination with Jhajjar and Nuh police.

The Commission then issued directions:

– SP Railways Ambala to file a fresh report before November 27 and appear in person with the investigation record.

– Commissioner of Police Jhajjar to depute DCP Bahadurgarh for full assistance

– SP Nuh to help identify the exact site where the boy was held as bonded labourer and his left hand chopped off.

Despite the August 13 directive, reports remain pending from the Deputy Commissioners of Jind and Nuh, and the Nuh Civil Surgeon and Child Protection Officer, the Commission noted. They have been directed again to submit status/action taken reports before November 27, when the matter is next listed. A report dated October 10 from Assistant Labour Commissioner Jind was also found unsatisfactory; the officer has been summoned for the next hearing with records.