Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan found that the victims, belonging to the Irular community (Scheduled Tribe), were forced to work for nominal wages as low as Rs 4 per bag of paddy, with their freedoms systematically curtailed.

[26/03, 07:47] sekarreporter1: http://youtube.com/post/UgkxVsfPwNv_tvctDMEplf-AT4yKrxKGiRsL?si=vL-o3tVqbLzJGyF4
[26/03, 07:48] sekarreporter1: Madras High Court reverses acquittal of mill owners
‘Victims lived in bondage for long, won’t withstand tricky questions’: Madras High Court reverses acquittal of mill owners
The Madras High Court was hearing the appeal of a woman survivor who was a bonded labourer at the rice mill run by the accused.

The victims were paid Rs 4 per bag for processing paddy, which was far below the statutory minimum wages, the Madras High Court noted. (Image generated using

Madras High Court news: Observing that it is a big challenge for illiterate bonded labourers to understand “tricky” questions and respond with confidence, particularly in light of the trial court having relied on minor discrepancies in their testimonies to acquit the accused, the Madras High Court set aside the acquittal of two rice mill owners who had subjected labourers to bonded conditions.

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Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan found that the victims, belonging to the Irular community (Scheduled Tribe), were forced to work for nominal wages as low as Rs 4 per bag of paddy, with their freedoms systematically curtailed.

“All the victims are illiterate and have lived under bondage for many years. It is very hard for them to withstand the intellectual and tricky questions of the defence. It is a big challenge for them to understand the question and to respond with confidence and boldness,” the Madras High Court said in its March 12 order.

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The high court was hearing the appeal filed by a woman survivor against the acquittal of two accused charged under the Bonded Labour Systems (Abolition) Act, 1976 and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

‘Working for minimal pay’
The high court noted that the victims were paid Rs 30 to Rs 60 for a pair (of labourers) and Rs 4 per bag for processing paddy, which was far below the statutory minimum wages.
It was observed that under the Minimum Wages Act, even piece-rate wages cannot fall below the minimum time rate fixed by the law.
The prosecution proved beyond any doubt that the victims are bonded labourers under the accused, and the accused forced them to work for an advance without any salary after the payment of an advance.
The testimonies of the prosecution witnesses demonstrated that the accused gave bonded debts to the victims and paid them below the minimum wage, and restricted their freedom of movement and employment.
It was placed on record that the accused gave illegal bonded debts to the victims.
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In the cases related to bonded labour, the burden is shifted onto the shoulders of the accused, and they have to provide evidence to prove their case.
The accused failed to produce sufficient evidence to rebut the presumption that the victims were working in consideration of an advance.
It was placed on record that the trial court found some discrepancies between the evidence of the victims.
The revenue divisional officer, being a sub-divisional magistrate, can exercise his magisterial power to conduct an inquiry under the Bonded Labour System (Aboli
[26/03, 07:44] Meta AI: சென்னை உயர்நீதிமன்றம், ஒரு பெண் தொழிலாளியின் மனுவை விசாரித்து, இரண்டு அரிசி ஆலை உரிமையாளர்களின் விடுதலையை ரத்து செய்துள்ளது. இந்த உரிமையாளர்கள் தொழிலாளர்களை கடன் அடிமைத்தனத்திற்கு உட்படுத்தியுள்ளனர். நீதிபதி ஜி.கே. இளந்திரையன், தொழிலாளர்கள் கல்வியறிவு இற்றவர்கள் என்றும், அவர்களால் சிக்கலான கேள்விகளுக்கு பதில் அளிக்க முடியாது என்றும் கூறியுள்ளார்.

வழக்கின் விவரம்:
– தொழிலாளர்கள் இருளர் சமூகத்தைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் (பழங்குடியினர்).
– அவர்களுக்கு ஒரு பை நெல்லுக்கு ₹4 மட்டுமே ஊதியம் வழங்கப்பட்டது, இது சட்டப்பூர்வமான குறைந்தபட்ச ஊதியத்தை விட மிகக் குறைவு.
– தொழிலாளர்கள் கடன் அடிமைத்தனத்திற்கு உட்படுத்தப்பட்டு, அவர்களின் சுதந்திரம் முற்றிலும் பறிக்கப்பட்டது.
– வழக்கில், குற்றவாளிகள் தொழிலாளர்களுக்கு கடன் கொடுத்து, அவர்களை கடன் அடிமைத்தனத்திற்கு உட்படுத்தியுள்ளனர் என்பது நிரூபிக்கப்பட்டது. ¹

இந்த வழக்கு தொடர்பாக உங்களுக்கு வேறு தகவல்கள் தேவையா? அல்லது வேறு வழக்குகள் பற்றி அறிய விரும்புகிறீர்களா?
[26/03, 07:44] Meta AI: The Madras High Court has set aside the acquittal of two rice mill owners who subjected labourers to bonded conditions. Justice G K Ilanthiraiyan observed that the victims, belonging to the Irular community (Scheduled Tribe), were illiterate and had lived under bondage for many years, making it hard for them to withstand “tricky” questions.

The labourers were paid Rs 4 per bag of paddy, far below the statutory minimum wages. The court noted that the accused failed to produce evidence to rebut the presumption that the victims were working in consideration of an advance.

The high court was hearing an appeal by a woman survivor against the acquittal of the accused charged under the Bonded Labour Systems (Abolition) Act, 1976, and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act [1].