Man held captive for 8 months; farmer booked for forced labour, assault

Agra: Days after 12 bonded labourers were rescued from a factory in a Muzaffarnagar village, a 27-year-old man -- who was allegedly kept in illegal confinement, forced do houseold work and tortured for eight months by a farmer -- was found unconscious with injuries all over his body at the railway station, police said on Tuesday.The victim, Pradeep Kumar Sharma, a resident of Indira Colony under the Civil Lines police station limits of Muzaffarnagar district, had gone missing on Nov 1, 2025. Following his disappearance, his mother, Sudha Sharma, lodged a police complaint after the family’s attempts to locate him failed.The breakthrough came when Govt Railway Police (GRP) personnel in Muzaffarnagar spotted Pradeep lying in critical condition at the railway station, and he was rushed to the district hospital.

According to his family, Pradeep’s body bore extensive injury marks, particularly across his back and waist.The victim’s brother, Gaurav Sharma, stated that once Pradeep regained consciousness, he narrated his ordeal. Pradeep alleged that a farmer, identified as Pramod, alias Jaipal of Daulatpur village under Mansurpur police station, had lured him away on the pretext of offering employment.Pradeep was allegedly confined at the farmer’s house for over eight months and forced into agricultural labour.

The family further alleged that Pradeep was fed only once a day and was severely beaten whenever he was unable or unwilling to work.While the family claimed that the accused later offered to cover Pradeep’s medical expenses, they rejected the offer and demanded strict criminal prosecution.Additional SP Siddharth Mishra confirmed that an FIR has been registered under relevant BNS sections, including 146, which deals with human trafficking and forced labor.“The victim has stated that he was kept at a house and made to work like a bonded laborer. Injury marks have been found on his body. The exact cause of the injuries is being verified, and appropriate legal sections will be added based on medical evidence and the investigation,” ASP Mishra said.Police are currently investigating how Pradeep reached the railway station, looking into whether he managed to escape from confinement or was intentionally abandoned there by his captor.The shocking incident comes just days after the Muzaffarnagar police rescued 12 bonded laborers, including a minor, from a local factory. The survivors told police and doctors that they were confined for months, beaten with iron rods and spear-like tools as ferocious pit bull dogs guarded them.