Kidnapped labourer rescued in Maha, contractor arrested

A labourer allegedly held captive by a contractor for more than a fortnight over a monetary dispute was rescued by the police here in Maharashtra, an official said.

The accused contractor, Kundlik Chavan, was arrested, he said.

Namdev Jadhav (aged around 45), a resident of the neighbouring Buldhana district, was intercepted by some people on December 28 while he was going to his relative's place in Jalna and forcefully taken away in a vehicle, Chandanzira police station's inspector Balasaheb Pawar said on Tuesday.

Later, Chavan called up Jadhav's son over phone, saying that the labourer was held captive as he had taken Rs 5 lakh from the contractor to work at a sugarcane field in Kolhapur district, but did not do his job, he said.

The accused then asked the victim's son to repay Rs 5 lakh if he wanted his father released, he said.

Jadhav's son then lodged a complaint at the Chandanzira police station.

The police traced the phone call, but the accused kept on changing his locations, the official said.

Two days back, the police received a tip-off, based on which they traced the victim to a room at Kotta village in Parbhani district, located around 40 km from here, and rescued him from there on Tuesday, Pawar said.

The contractor was subsequently arrested and booked under relevant sections, Pawar added.