Parents urge administration for their children's rescue from Qatar

Kendrapara, Sep 6 (UNI) Parents of 26 Oriya labourers, who were allegedly tortured by a construction company in Qatar, will meet the district collector and the superintendent of police for their hildren's safe release here today.

Baikuntha Sahu, one of the victim's father said they took the decision after they found that the Mumbai-based agency, which had recruited these youths, had packed-up their Bhubaneswar branch office.

''Some of us had been to the Bhubaneswar office to request for the rescue of our children but the agents had fled ,'' Mr Sahu added.

The youths from Balijhar, Sanapati, Singiri, Padinipal, Bagalidiha , Srirampur, Damarpur, Gobindapur and its adjoining villages in the district were working as plumbers in Qatar based Al-Hudiba construction company.

The youths were sent to Qatar last July by three agents -- Himanshu Biswal, Amar Pradhan of Balabhadrapur and Debendra Mohapatra of Madanpur -- promising them a salary of Rs 11,500 per month and free accommodation.

However, the youths, in a fax message to their relatives, informed their parents that they were sold to another construction company.

They further informed that they were physically and mentally assaulted in the company and were forced to work for fore more than 14 hours a day without food. They have also alleged that they were asked to break large stones instead of giving them the job of plumbers.

''Please save us from the claws of death,'' Basudev Sahu, one of the victim, pleaded to his father in a message.

This is the second incident of human trafficking in Kendrapara district in the last two months.

UNI