November 8, 2024: In a chilling incident of abduction and extortion, six daily wage workers from Bheleuguri in Dabka, Assam, were held captive, tortured, and extorted by a gang in Tamil Nadu. The workers were confined to a locked room, where they were subjected to severe mistreatment and threatened with death unless their families paid a ransom.

The harrowing ordeal began when the workers were allegedly lured to Tamil Nadu with promises of employment. Once there, they were trapped by the gang, who locked them in a room and began demanding money. The perpetrators went as far as contacting the workers’ families in Assam, threatening them with death if they failed to meet the ransom demand.

According to the victims’ families, the gang's threats were relentless. Desperate for help, the families approached the Dabaka Police Station to file an FIR, but their plea was reportedly ignored. Frustrated by the lack of response from local authorities, the victims’ relatives sought assistance from the All Assam Minority Students' Union (AAMSU) and the Hojai District Drivers' Organisation.

These organizations swiftly intervened, informing the Hojai police of the situation. Acting on their complaint, the officer-in-charge of the Dabaka Police Station, under the direction of the Superintendent of Police (SP), formally registered the case and contacted their counterparts in Tamil Nadu.

A rescue operation was immediately launched, with the assistance of the All India Road Transport Workers Federation (AIRTW), whose local officials played a key role in aiding Tamil Nadu police during the search. After several hours of intense efforts, the police successfully located and freed all six workers, who were found alive, though shaken by their traumatic experience.

The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of migrant workers and the need for stronger inter-state cooperation in addressing such cases of exploitation and human trafficking.

This shocking case highlights the vulnerability of migrant laborers, many of whom face exploitation at the hands of unscrupulous individuals and gangs.