Two brothers arrested for employing tribals as bonded laborers

Thane: Police have arrested two brothers from a village in Maharashtra’s Thane district for allegedly employing a group of tribal people as workers under slavery conditions and subjecting them to physical abuse, one The officer said. The accused have been identified as Sanjay Shalin Patil (40) and his brother Major Vijay (45), who live in Khoni village near Dombivali, he said. He was not allowed to go to any other place to work. They threatened the victims and sometimes even assaulted them. The accused also confiscated their important documents”, said Manpada Police Commissionerate Inspector Ashok Honmane. Based on a complaint filed by a local member of the Katkari community, a case was registered against the duo under sections 374 (compulsory illegal act), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to disturb public order) . , 506 (criminal intimidation) and the Act of Reconciliation between Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) and the Act (Abolition of Labor System), he said. He said that Deputy Commissioner of Police Sunil Kurade is investigating the crime. Subcommission zonal Sachin Gunjal on Friday assured the government committee on tribal welfare that he would initiate the process to expel the two accused.