MIRPURKHAS, July 23: Police on Wednesday recovered 18 bonded labourers, including children and women, on the orders of district and sessions judge who was directed by the Sindh High Court’s Hyderabad circuit bench to ensure recovery of labourers.Khaan police raided the lands of Khuda Bux Mahar in Deh 70 village of Jam Nawaz Ali taluka and recovered Paro, Babri, Kewal, Jairam, Parkash, Ms Haryan, Ms Ganga, Ms Sirti, Saroop, Ramesh and others.

Police produced them before the judge who set them at liberty.

Doongar Bheel had filed an application in the Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court, complaining that he and his other family members had been working on Maher’s lands but the landlord had withheld their share in crops and kept them in wrongful confinement.

Maher refuted Doongar’s allegations about wrongful confinement and told police that the labourers owed him Rs160,000.

The high court directed the sessions judge of Mirpurkhas to ensure release of labourers from the illegal captivity.

Meanwhile, a landlord of Umerkot has freed 13 bonded farm workers, including women and children, on the intervention of the police following a complaint by the Human Rights Foundation.

An activist of the human rights organisation, whose name could not be ascertained, complained to the Umerkot police on Tuesday evening that 13 members of a peasant family were being held in bondage and forced to work at the land of Piro Mangrio across Thar Wah near Raja Rasti.

The Umerkot SHO contacted the landlord and apprised him of the complaint. He was told that a complaint was being filed in court regarding illegal detention of the peasants.

The landowner told the SHO that the peasants owed him money he had given them in advance. However, he agreed to free them.

The 13 peasants left the land of Mangrio with the activist.