Baghpat Rescue Operation Raises Serious Questions

Joining me today on this episode of Unbreak the News is Surender Kumar. Surender is a rescued bonded labourer from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh. He, along with 17 others—including women and children—was forced to work at a brick kiln in Baghpat district under inhumane conditions. When the exploitation became unbearable, Surender secretly wrote a letter to the District Magistrate of Baghpat on February 22, 2025.

Following his letter, a rescue team was dispatched by the district administration on February 25 to free the 18 bonded labourers. But what unfolded that day was deeply disturbing. Surender told The Probe that the rescue team—comprising three government officials—forced the labourers to sign blank documents. Shockingly, they were then brutally assaulted by the brick kiln owners in the presence of the rescue team.

The rescue operation, though flawed, eventually led to the release of all 18 bonded labourers. However, to this day, no action has been taken against the brick kiln owners, nor against the officials involved in the rescue. The labourers have also not received their release orders or certificates—crucial documents that would have enabled them to claim compensation and access government rehabilitation schemes.

After The Probe reported the story on March 30, 2025, an FIR was finally registered. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) informed The Probe that release orders have been issued for all 18 bonded labourers. Yet, not a single labourer has received these orders so far. This is a harrowing tale of human rights violations and systemic injustice inflicted on some of the most marginalised members of our society—while the authorities continue to look the other way.

Let’s now speak with Surender…

Prema Sridevi: Surender ji, you wrote a letter to the District Magistrate of Baghpat. What exactly did you write in that letter?

Surender Kumar: In that letter, I wrote that since January 3rd, 18 of us—including women and children—were being held as bonded labourers and were being forced to work at the brick kiln in Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh against our will. I requested that we be rescued and that we be given justice.

Prema Sridevi: And then a rescue operation took place. You had earlier told us that something very shocking happened during that rescue. Can you describe exactly how the rescue unfolded?

"Sign Blank Paper or Stay a Slave"

Surender Kumar: The rescue happened like this—when the rescue team from Baghpat district administration came to rescue us, they did not come to us directly. Instead, they went straight to the owner of the brick kiln who was forcing us to work. They spoke to him for quite some time. Then, along with the owner, they came to us. As soon as they met us, the rescue team officials from the government asked us to sign some blank documents. We refused. We said we can’t just sign like that—if there’s a statement, we’ll sign a statement. But they insisted. They said, “If you don’t sign, I will leave you here and won’t rescue you.”

Prema Sridevi: Who said this to you?

Surender Kumar: The labour inspector told me this. He said, “Either you sign, or I’ll leave you here and go.” Then he forcibly took our signatures on blank papers—every member of the family was made to sign.

Prema Sridevi: Can you tell us the name of that labour inspector?

Surender Kumar: Yes. His name is Arvind Madhesia. He was the labour inspector who took our signatures on all the blank documents.

Prema Sridevi: So Surendra ji, you're saying that Arvind Madhesia, a member of the rescue team, made you sign blank papers?

Surender Kumar: Yes, exactly. He told us to sign on blank papers.

Prema Sridevi: Didn’t you ask him why he was asking you to sign blank papers?

Surender Kumar: I did. I asked, “Why should we sign on a blank paper?” He replied that they were getting us freed and that our statements would be recorded later at the office. I told him that this didn’t seem right—no one works like this. But he insisted it was fine, that he would just take the signatures and hand them over to the District Magistrate of Baghpat. That’s how he tricked us into signing. And even when we refused, he said, “If you don’t sign, I’ll leave you here. And then whatever happens to you at the hands of your employer will be your problem.”

Prema Sridevi: How did the rescue finally happen? Did the team arrange vehicles for your transport? 

Surender Kumar: No. They didn’t come with a vehicle. They told us that we had to arrange vehicles for our own rescue. They said that otherwise the rescue wouldn’t happen. Then we had to make arrangements. So I made phone calls and arranged for three vehicles. We gathered our belongings—utensils, bedding, everything—from our huts and loaded them into the vehicles ourselves.

Prema Sridevi:Just to confirm—you’re saying the rescue team of three government officials came without any vehicles and told you to arrange your own transportation?

Surender Kumar: Yes, absolutely. They told us to arrange for our own vehicle if we wanted to be rescued. I had to call around to find drivers and get the vehicles myself.

Forced to Work. Beaten During Rescue. Still No Justice.

Prema Sridevi: And what happened when you were about to leave in those vehicles?

Surender Kumar: As we were about to board the vehicle, the brick kiln owner, Ravinder Rana, and his son Abhimanyu attacked us along with many other goons. They beat us with iron rods. My brother's hand was broken, and he suffered deep head injuries that required many stitches. They also hit me on the head—my head has healed now, but at the time it was serious. Women and children were injured too.

Prema Sridevi: Surendra ji, what you’re saying is supported by photos and videos that are now in the public domain, correct?

Surender Kumar: Yes. Everything is recorded. They can’t deny it happened. The visuals are out there.

Prema Sridevi: And despite this, you’re saying the system is trying to protect the brick kiln owners?

Surender Kumar: Yes. They’re trying to protect people like Ravindra Rana and Abhimanyu. What’s happening to us is wrong.

Prema Sridevi: When this assault happened, where were the members of the rescue team?

Surender Kumar: They were standing and just watching the show. We were screaming for help, but they didn’t come to our aid. They just stood there and watched us being beaten. We had to run to save our lives.

Prema Sridevi: What did you do after that?

Surender Kumar: While running, we dialed 112 and called the police. The 112 police team arrived and rescued us. They took us away from there. Then we went straight to the DM’s office.

Prema Sridevi: What happened when you reached the Baghpat DM’s office?

Surender Kumar:The DM of Baghpat wasn’t there, and no other senior official was available. We spoke to someone from the DM’s team. They just said, “Okay, okay, it’ll be taken care of.” But they didn’t listen to us properly. After that, we just returned home.

Prema Sridevi:First, we want to understand something. Later on, if authorities claim that you were just labourers and not bonded labourers, what would you say to that? How would you prove that you were not just labourers?

Surender Kumar: We were bonded labourers at that brick kiln. We have proof. I have a video showing children being forced to work, including my own children, my father, and my brother—all of them are seen working in that video. I shot that video secretly. We had been working there since January 3rd. We were not allowed to leave that place. We were kept in confinement. We have video evidence as well. 

Prema Sridevi:You mentioned that you were forced to work. Were you given any advance payment initially? And after that, were you paid for your work at all? Also, what measures were taken to stop you from leaving that place?

"They Threatened Us with Guns"

Surender Kumar: Yes, we were given some advance initially. But after that, we were not paid anything for the work we did. When we tried to leave or go somewhere else, the owner called in some local goons to guard us. Even the guards and watchmen at the kiln were told to keep watch on us. They monitored our every move. If we said we were going somewhere, they would beat us up, threaten us with guns, and say they would shoot us if we tried to escape. That’s what we went through.

Prema Sridevi:When you were finally rescued, your statement was very important. But we heard that after the rescue on the 25th, you had to repeatedly plead with the administration to get your statement recorded. Can you explain what happened?

Surender Kumar: Yes, even after we were rescued and brought back, we had to go to the DM’s office and the SP’s office. We kept requesting them to take our statement and act against the abuse we faced. But no one was ready to listen. We had to literally beg and plead. Later, we sent letters through registered post and also wrote to higher officials. Only after that did the officials visit us and record our statements. That finally happened on March 3, 2025. But the irony is that the same labour officer who had forced us to sign blank documents had come to record our statements. 

Prema Sridevi:After that, when the police registered the FIR, we noticed that many important sections were missing. Do you believe the FIR was filed properly?

Surender Kumar: When I was called to the police station to file the FIR, I went and started writing my statement myself. But the police started interfering. They told me not to write certain things and tried to censor my words. I asked them, "Whose statement is this—yours or mine?" They were threatening me, intimidating me, and forcing me to change my account. Then I called the SDM, who instructed them to record my statement properly.

Even then, none of the appropriate legal sections for bonded labour or child labour were included. The police were clearly trying to protect the owner and were showing it only as a simple case of conflict between employers and employees. They are doing everything to shield the owner.

Prema Sridevi:Even now, the brick kiln owner has not been arrested. Despite the assault taking place in front of the rescue team, there has been no action against those officers either. As you said, your statements were not registered immediately, and you still haven't received your release orders. Why do you think the administration is silent on this issue?

Surender Kumar: I believe the senior officers and the local police are working together to protect the owner. They’re trying to change the nature of the case, to show that we were not bonded labourers. That’s why we haven’t been issued release orders. Even though we were beaten, and my brother’s arm was fractured—his bone was broken—we’ve received no information or help from the authorities. They are not ready to give us our release orders, nor are they ready to arrest the owner. They are doing everything they can to protect him and change the nature of our case.

Prema Sridevi:Where are you and the 17 others who were rescued with you now? What kind of problems are you all facing?

Surender Kumar: Everyone is at home now. But they are all struggling. They can’t go out to work and earn a living because they live in constant fear. They’re scared the owner might come and abduct them from their homes. Unknown people have even come to their houses and warned them, saying if they don’t support the owner or give statements in his favour, they will be taken away. This fear lingers constantly. We keep requesting the administration to take action and arrest the owner, so that we can feel safe and get justice—but nothing is happening.

Prema Sridevi:What are your demands from the government?

Surender Kumar: My demands are simple. We want justice. What happened to us was injustice—we were held captive for two months, forced to work, even our children were made to work. We were abused and they used caste-based slurs on us. They said things like, “You belong to a lower caste, so this is the kind of work you deserve.”

We want justice for all the oppression we faced. We want the owner arrested. We want our rightful wages to be paid. But the government and administration seem unwilling to do anything.

Prema Sridevi:Thank you, Surendra ji, for speaking with us. Since we began reporting on this issue, we’ve consistently reached out to the police, SDM, and labour officers. We are with you in this fight for justice and hope that you receive justice soon. Thank you once again.

Surender Kumar: Thank you.