Illegal detention: Labourer, family found chained at landlord’s dera

FAISALABAD: The Tandlianwala Saddar police on Wednesday recovered a labourer, his wife and their child from illegal confinement by a landlord. The landlord was arrested and the family provided medical treatment.

Police said they learnt that the three had been chained a week ago. A few months ago, police said, Nawaz Ahmad had taken a loan from Riaz Ahmad, a landlord in Chak 414-GB. They said he had sought more time from Riaz after he failed to return the money on time.

Riaz then told Nawaz to work at his dera round the clock. When Nawaz refused, police said, Riaz ordered his men to bring him to the dera, where he chained him. A few days later, police said, when his wife came looking for him along with their child, Riaz detained them, too.

Police quoted Mubeen Ahmad, a relative of the labourer, as saying that some of Nawaz’s relatives had visited the landlord to request him to release Nawaz and his family, but he had refused to do so.

“We had also requested some other landlords of the area to talk to Riaz, but to no avail.”

Tandlianwala Saddar police raided the dera on Wednesday and recovered the family. They were taken to a hospital, from where they were discharged a few hours later. The landlord was arrested, police said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 5^th, 2013.