Satpal Singh S/o Dalwara Singh R/o Village- Kulbursha, tehsil-Samana, District- Patiala belongs to Majhabi Sikh caste (SC). From last five years he was working as a agriculture labourer for the employer named Malak Singh S/o Gurcharan Singh of village- Lalwa, tehsil- Patran, District- Patiala. He was also taking care of the 30 buffalos of the employer. In the first year the employer gave him Rs.30,000/- as an advance  amount and tell him that he has fixed his annual wages of Rs. 30,000/-. After first year the employer never gave him any information that what wages he will gave him. He was working for the employer from sunrise to sunset. His wife and his two children were also living with him in the farm house of the employer. The employer was not allowing the family to move out. The employer took the thumb impressions of Satpal Singh on many types of blank papers about which Satpal Singh was not aware that where he will use these papers. The employer never paid his earned wages instead of some ration so they could eat and work for him. In the night when Satpal Singh finish his work the employer chained him  so he could not ran away and in the morning when the time of his work starts he opened his chains and ordered him to start the work. On 20 September 2013 when he sit dawn for some time the employer and his brother beaten him mercilessly and abused him on caste basis. In the day time when the employer goes outside for some time he ran away from the fields of the employer and approached to DDVA office. The complaint regarding his release and rehabilitation was sent to the District Magistrate, Patiala on dated 10-10-012. Satpal Singh and his family members are physically free and are living outside but there is no action against the employer to extract bonded labour from Satpal Singh. 

Pappu Singh S/o Gura Singh is R/o village- Shabilput (Kalwano Dera), tehsil-Patran, District- Patiala. He belongs to Majhabi Sikh caste which has been declared as a Scheduled caste by the State Government of Punjab. In 2009 he was employed by one Satnam Singh S/o Fateh Singh R/o Village- Badshahpur, tehsil- Patran, District- Patiala who belongs to Jatt Sikh Community. When he was employed by the employer he was given Rs. 40,000/- as an advance which he used during the marriage of his daughter whose name is Gori and the rest amount he use for his son’s treatment who was not well at that time. The employer never gave him any information that what wages he has fixed for his work. Pappu Singh was working day and night for the employer the employer was not allowing him to go to his house. Sometimes whenever he goes to his house for some time in the absence of the employer and when the employer came to know about this he beats him mercilessly. The employer never gave him any weekly rest or over time whenever he falls sick or could not attend the work due to any urgent work then he was charged a fine by the employer. The employer never paid his earn wages whenever he demands his wages from the employer he always makes excuses and Pappu Singh was given only Rs. 100 to Rs.200 in a month. His wife was working outside as a domestic working and she was managing the other expenses. On 19-9-012 when he asked the employer that he wants to go to his house to meet his family members the employer beaten him mercilessly and threaten him that if he wants to go to his house then first he has to pay his bonded debt of Rs. 50,000/- then he can go to his house otherwise he has to only work for him. Then the employer locked him in a room and keep him in the room during night time and in the morning he was bring out of the room and he was ordered to work. After this incident about eight days later he got a message from his house that his relatives are coming to his house. He requests his employer that he wants to go to his for some time to meet his relatives and will come back soon. But the employer does not allow him to go out.

On the same day he got a chance and ran away from the work of the employer and approached to VSJ. A complaint was sent to District Magistrate, Patiala on dated 27-9-012 by registered Post. As the employer was harassing the bonded labourer and the administration was not taking any action against the employer. So again a complaint was again sent to the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi for the release and rehabilitation of bonded labourer Pappu Singh. The complaint was marked to District Magistrate, Patiala for the further investigation and Pappu Singh was called by Tehsildar Patran for the investigation. When Pappu Singh went to the office of Tehsildar Patran the employer Satnam Singh and his fellows were also present here. The tehsildar asked Pappu “Is your name is Pappu”, he replied “Yes Sir my name is Pappu”. Then the tehsildar asked him “Have you taken the advance from Satnam Singh?”. Then he again replied that “Yes, Sir Satnam Singh has given me an advance”. The tehsildar asked that “Do you want to go to jail”. Pappu Singh replied “No Sir, I have children have mercy on me” Tehsildar said that “Now we will forgive you do  not go to Phillaur (the complainant organization) again  go to the last room and record your statement”. The employer and his fellow persons bring him to a room near Tehsildar Patran office and forcibly take his thumb impressions on many types of papers which were  not shared with Pappu Singh that why they have taken his thumb impressions. Now Pappu Singh was informed that he has got compromise and he does not want any action against the employer but Pappu Singh was not aware about that when he got compromise. Now Pappu Singh is physically free but no action has been taken against the employer .

Mohinder Singh S/o Mukhtiar Singh, R/o Village- Sadharanpur, tehsil- Patran, District- Patiala. He belongs to Majhabi Sikh caste which is declared as a Scheduled Caste. Since 2008 (January), he was employed by one Kulvir Singh, Jagsir Singh, Sukhwinder Singh, Jagdish Singh, Harjinder Singh all are sons of Ajit Singh, Village- Sadharanpur, tehsil- Patra, District- Patiala, Caste- Kamboj community.

Mohinder Singh was working for all the employers as a “Siri” and during the Wheat and Paddy harvesting season, the employers were also taken work from him as a driver. When he employed, he was given Rs. 70,000/- as an advance which he spent on the madicare of of his wife’ pregnancy and on birth of his child. The employers told them that they paid Rs. 70,000/- as his annual wages. After that the employers never told anything about wages. He started his work from 5:00a.m and up till 8:00p.m he was working for the employers. The employer were not providing him any weekly rest or over time, whenever he could not attend their work due to some urgent work or illness the employers charged him a fine according to his own wish and adds this amount in the advance amount and on the whole amount he was charging an interest as per his own wish. The employer has taken the thumb impressions of Mohinder Singh on many types of papers without giving any information to Mohinder Singh as Mohinder Singh is a illiterate man he himself does not know that what type of these papers are and where the employer will use these papers. The employers were not giving him any of his earn wages whenever he requests them many times for his wages then the employers pays his only Rs.500 to Rs. 100 per months. His wife works outside on daily basis, she managed the other expenses. At the work, suddenly there was a pain in the abdomen of Mohinder Singh and he asked for money from the employer for the medicine but the employer does not pay any of his wages. Mohinder Singh’s wife managed the money for his medicine. As the employers does not paid the earn wages of Mohinder Singh and not give him any money for the medicine, he desired to leave the work and go for the work with the other employer.

On 14/9/012 when he was going to Haryana on the Harvesting combine of his second employer on the way the employers Kulvir Singh, Jagir Singh, Sukhwinder Singh and Raju Singh forcibly stopped him near Hisar and dragged him into the Maruti Car in which they all were and brig him to Punjab and about 8:00p.m they handed him over to the police of Police Post- Badhshahpur under police Station- Ghaga and leave him on this condition that he (Mohinder Singh) will repay them the bonded debt.

The employers were threatening him that if he will not repay the bonded debt then they will forcibly take the possession of his residential house. Mohinder Singh was under the threat and fear. His life and liberty is in danger. He came to DDVA and for his release and rehabilitation a letter was sent to the District Magistrate, Patiala on 18-9-012. In the meantime the employer filed a case of suit for recovery against him which is still pending in the court. But no action has been taken against the employers.

Nikku Singh S/o Nohria Singh, Age-32 years, R/o Village-Ghabda, tehsil & District- Sangrur belongs to Majhabi Sikh caste which is declared as a Scheduled caste by the Punjab Government.

On 16^th May 2012 he was working for Hakam Khan S/o Hasna Khan, Nawab Khan S/o Kale Khan and Sani Khan S/o Goki Khan are residence of village-Gudthali, Fazal Ke Kothe, Post office-Sangrur, tehsil & District- Sangrur,  as a agriculture labourer called “Siri” bonded labourer. When he was engaged in work by the employers he was given Rs.40,000 (Forty thousand rupees) as an advance by Hakam Khan. With this advance amount he repaid Rs.30,000 (Thirty thousand rupees) to his previous employer Gurcharan Singh S/o Bir Singh who was demanding the debt from him. The remaining amount he spent for his domestic purposes for house. The employers fixed his wages Rs.60000 (Sixty thousand rupees) per annum. The employers took work from him day and night during the paddy transplantation season and after that he had to work from 4a.m to 8p.m for the employers. The employers provided him three times meal. The employer had taken his thumb impressions on many blank papers when he joined. As Nikku Singh is illiterate he did not know abou the use of these documents. The employers did not allow him any weekly rest or any leave due to any urgent work or sickness. Whenever he could attend the work due to sickness or any other purpose he was charged Rs.300/- by the employer. The fine amount was added in the advance amount and the employers charge an interest on the whole amount according to their wish. The employers never allowed him to go to his house; they took work from day and night to him. He was not paid any wages instead of advance amount. On 10/9/012 in the night time when he was working in the fields of the employers he work up till 2:30a.m and he felt tired and slept for some time in the tube well room in the mean time Hakam Khan, Nawab Khan and Sani Khan came and they started abuse him and beaten him mercilessly and went back. About 3a.m. Nikku Singh came back to his house.

Then his family members admitted him in Civil Hospital, Sangrur where he was under treatment till 13/9/012 his Admit Card Number was: 11102/593. When he demanded the Medico Legal Report from the doctors, they did not gave him a copy. When he went to the Police Chowki of Village- Valia, his complaint was not registered. Now the employer Hakam Khan is demanding the bonded debt of Rs.1,00,000 (One lakh rupees) from  him and is threatening him that if he will not pay him his wages then he will implicate him in a false case. Now the police is also harassing his family members. Now, Nikku Singh does not want to continue his services with the employers. Due to the fear of the employer he has took asylum in the Transit Rehabilitation Centre of DDVA. For his release and rehabilitation from bonded labour and bonded debt Nikku Singh has also sent a complaint to District Magistrate, Sangrur on 6^th November 2012 through registered post which is under consideration. At present Nikku Singh live in his village. Nilkku Singh is physically free and free from bonded debt.

Lakhbir singh, Aged 35, is a native of village Dalanpur in the district of Patiala. He belongs to the Majhabi Sikh caste which is a scheduled caste. His family consists of him, his wife and his two children. His wife’s name is Kulwinder Kaur (25 years old) and his son’s names are Jivanjot (8 years) and Ramandeep Singh (2 years). For the past seven years, he has been working as bonded labourer for his employer, Bittu Singh, who lives in the same village. He belongs to the caste “Jatt Sikh” which is an upper caste.

He has a big dairy farm where Lakhbir works, providing milk to Bittu Singh’s customers’ houses in the mornings & evenings. After this, he has to work in his employer’s fields. When the employer engaged Lakhbir in his work he gave him an advance of Rs,20,000/- for the first year of work. Lakhbir Singh used this money for the cremation of his mother and for domestic expenses. Bittu took Lakhbir Singh’s thumb impression on some blank papers so that he could claim a debt amount when the bonded labourer desired to leave his work.He worked  day and night for the employer, and Lakhbir was not allowed to go to home by the employer, despite it being in the same village. Further, Bittu was not paying him his wages and on the many occasions Lakhbir requested his wages from the employer, he only received Rs.200 or Rs.400/- a month. With this amount, it was very difficult for Lakhbir and his family to survive. Thus his wife would help and manage the household expenses by finding a job working as a domestic servant in different houses of her village. When Lakhbir could not attend work due to some necessary household task or because of sickness, the employer would put fine on him whatever he saw fit, and adds the charged amount to the original advance which was increasing with interest.

During the period of his work, Lakhbir’s children suffered from skin disease. His wife was also ill and she was unable to go to work. Thus, Lakhbir asked his employer to give him his earned wages so that he could provide the medical aid to his family. But Bittu did not pay him and  abusing him and beating him mercilessly with sticks until he was unconscious. A co-worker witnessed this and told Lakhbir’s family that he was in his employer’s fields in a serious condition.

To help, Kulwinder and Lakhbir’s nephew went to the employer and request him  that he allow them to take him to a hospital as he needed medical assistance.

Bittu Singh did not contribute any money towards his treatment so they took him to a government hospital. Lakhbir remained here for two days while he received treatment and to pay for it Kulwinder borrowed money from his relatives.When Lakhbir Singh was discharged from hospital and returned home he refused to go back to work. Not only had his employer beaten him and then refused to pay for treatment, he also not paid him his wages. This incensed Bittu, who went to Lakhbir’s home and tried to force him to go back to his fields. He threated that Lakhbir have to pay a bonded debt of Rs.75,000., otherwise he would implicate Lakbhir in a false case and that with the help of the concerned police, he would obtain his bonded debt. Finally, Bittu stated that if he did not pay, he would beat him again, throw his family out of his home and take possession of their house..

During a public meeting Lakhbir Singh met with a VSJ field animator to whom he narrated his story. Correspondingly, the field animator gave him information regarding the act for the release of the bonded labourers and information on VSJ. Lakhbir then approached the VSJ office in Phillaur with his family members. Lakhbir and his family still fear that the employer will take him back to work and beat him. Due to this they have had to leave their native village and have run away to take asylum in the Temporary Rehabilitation Centre of Volunteers for Social Justice. VSJ have provided medical aid to children for their skin diseases and also to Kulwinder who was also ill when they arrived at the VSJ office. They are now under treatment.

On behalf of the statement of Lakhbir Singh, VSJ has filed a complaint to the concerned Deputy Commissioner demanding for the release and rehabilitation of the family. His case is pending before Deputy Commissioner.