Daijiworld Media Network- Tirupati

Tirupati, May 24: In a heart-wrenching case that has shaken Andhra Pradesh’s Tirupati district, a tribal woman who left her son as "collateral" for a Rs 25,000 loan found him dead and buried secretly in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The shocking incident has led to the arrest of a duck rearer and his family members, who allegedly kept the woman and her three children as bonded labourers for over a year.

The victim, Anakamma, from the Yanadi tribal community, had worked along with her husband Chenchaiah and their three children at a duck-rearing facility in Tirupati. Following the death of her husband, the employer reportedly forced Anakamma and her children to continue working under the pretext of repaying a Rs 25,000 loan taken by her deceased spouse.

Despite long hours and poor conditions, Anakamma was denied fair wages. When she expressed her desire to leave, the duck rearer demanded Rs 45,000 — adding Rs 20,000 in alleged interest — and refused to let her go unless one of her children was left behind as security. With no alternative, she left her son and promised to return with the money.

During the period of separation, the boy frequently pleaded with his mother over phone calls, begging to be rescued and sharing his pain of being overworked. Anakamma last spoke to her son on April 12. After managing to gather the full amount, she contacted the duck rearer in the last week of April, only to be told that her son had run away.

Sensing something amiss, Anakamma sought help from tribal leaders and approached the police. During interrogation, the accused finally confessed that the boy had died and his body was secretly buried near his in-laws’ house in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu.

On Tuesday, police exhumed the boy’s body as a grieving Anakamma sat by the site in inconsolable pain. A post-mortem has been initiated to determine the exact cause of death.

Tirupati Collector Venkateswar, speaking to media, said, “We are taking a serious view of the case. CCTV footage shows the boy was taken to a hospital. The accused claim he died of jaundice, but the body was buried in secrecy and the family was not informed. This raises serious questions.”

Officials have registered a case against the duck rearer, his wife, and their son under several stringent provisions, including the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act, SC/ST Atrocities Act, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Human rights activists pointed out that the Yanadi tribal community is particularly vulnerable to bonded labour, with more than 50 members rescued in similar cases in the recent past. “Most of these families are trapped through small advances that turn into lifelong exploitation,” said an activist.

The incident has drawn national attention, prompting calls for stronger enforcement against bonded labour and better protection for tribal communities across the region.