MP’s Guna collector breaks decades-old bonded labour racket; 70 freed from ‘Rahua’ slavery
Bhopal: A decades-old system of bonded labour has been dismantled in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, where Collector Kishore Kanyal has led a major crackdown, rescuing 70 victims trapped in the brutal ‘Rahua’ system.
The operation exposed a chilling pattern of human trafficking and abuse.
The ‘Rahua’ system, masquerading as a “Raho aur Khao” (stay and eat) arrangement, targeted mentally challenged and destitute individuals with false promises of food and shelter. In reality, victims were enslaved for years—sometimes decades—working in cattle sheds, farms, brick kilns, and roadside eateries under inhumane conditions.
Locally known strongmen are believed to have operated this exploitative system for decades. Following the launch of a coordinated rescue operation last week, 70 individuals have been freed so far from Binaganj and Chachora towns and villages that fall under them. Of these, 54 were recently found abandoned, while 16 had been rescued earlier in the week.
The perpetrators, sensing the administration’s crackdown, fled and left many captives at highways, bus stops, and deserted fields in the area.
Survivors described enduring gruelling labour, abuse, starvation, and being forced to sleep beside animals. The victims hail from diverse regions of the country, even Nepal.
Heart-wrenching survivor accounts include a Tamil Nadu man abducted 12 years ago with false job offers, a Nepali beggar trafficked across borders, and a Karnataka native drugged and enslaved on a cattle farm.
The breakthrough came after the district administration issued a 24-hour ultimatum to release all bonded labourers. Those rescued were shifted to ‘Apna Ghar Ashram’ in Shivpuri, where they are receiving medical and psychological care.
“We came to know about this decades-old racket through local media reports and sources. Following this, we formed a joint team of police, revenue, and labour departments to identify those who were holding such victims, “ Collector Kanyal told Millennium Post.
“Simultaneous raids were conducted at multiple locations, and in the first phase, 16 victims were rescued. The operation then expanded rapidly,” he said.
Guna police are now probing a suspected interstate—and possibly international—trafficking ring, with leads pointing to systematic abductions of vulnerable individuals.
“The racket has been operating in the shadows for too long. We will dismantle it completely,” Kanyal said. As the investigation widens, authorities are appealing for public help to locate more victims still hidden in remote areas, determined to end this modern-day slavery for good.
“This was slavery in the truest sense. These individuals were dehumanised, stripped of identity, and robbed of freedom,” he said. “These victims were treated worse than livestock,” the collector said. “Many may be long-missing individuals.
So far, 11 arrests have been made in this regard, and investigations are ongoing into a suspected trafficking ring. Officials are urging the public to help locate any remaining victims in remote areas.
