From Nagpur Bakery Offer to Tamil Nadu Captivity: Two Laborers Missing

Sapt Chaturvedi, 45, and Rakesh Khatri, 34, left their homes in Balod district on September 28 after being assured of employment at a biscuit factory in Nagpur. The promise came from a local resident, Chandraish Thakur, who claimed to have connections with the factory. After travelling to Nagpur, the duo was abruptly shifted to an undisclosed site in Tamil Nadu, where they were forced to work without any freedom of movement.

The victims' families were later informed that the men were being held against their will and were being forced to operate a borewell vehicle and tend to cattle. The captors demanded a ransom of ₹16,000, which the families paid using PhonePe in two separate transactions – eight thousand rupees each.

Despite honoring the payment, the men have not been released. Their wives, Kaushlya Chaturvedi and Padma Bae, approached the Balod police station on October 2 and subsequently the police superintendent on October 5, seeking immediate rescue.

The Assistant Superintendent of Police, Chandrakant Govarna, confirmed that the complaint outlines illegal confinement, forced labor, and monetary extortion. A police probe has been launched to verify the allegations, locate the missing workers, and apprehend those responsible.