Police in India's Uttar Pradesh state have rescued 12 men who were allegedly being held as bonded labour at a small factory, sparking outrage across the country.
The men were lured with promises of jobs but were then held against their will for months, police said. They were allegedly forced to work around the clock and brutally beaten if they demanded wages or tried to leave.
Two people have been arrested in the case, while the factory owner is on the run, police added.
The incident has once again drawn attention to bonded labour in India. Although made illegal 50 years ago, it continues to exist in parts of the country, with poor workers often trapped through debt, threats and coercion.
Warning: Some readers may find details in this story distressing.
The incident that took place in Muzaffarnagar district came to light after police received a tip-off last week about workers allegedly being held captive at a disposable plate manufacturing factory.
Senior police official Sanjay Kumar Verma told the BBC that they first sent in a decoy and then raided the factory on Monday along with labour department and district officials.
The 12 rescued were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Bihar and Uttarakhand, while one was from Nepal. Some had been held at the factory for as long as 18 months, the police said.
Verma described the living conditions as marked by "tremendous atrocity", adding that the injuries on the workers' bodies were "shocking".
Police said the accused preyed on people looking for work at railway stations and other public places and brought them in offering jobs, food and accommodation.
Once they arrived at the factory, the workers' mobile phones were confiscated and they were allegedly locked inside and forced to work around the clock.
The statement issued by the police, external said the labourers were fed just one dry roti (Indian flatbread) a day and guarded by pit bull terriers.
"When they demanded wages or spoke of leaving, they were beaten with sharp sticks," the statement added.
Some of the rescued workers spoke to BBC Hindi about their plight.
Ramu, from Uttarakhand state, said they were "kept like prisoners" and never allowed to leave the factory.
"Our mobile phones were taken away and our Aadhaar cards were burnt. We were beaten with sticks and given only bran bread to eat," he said.
Narayan, who is from Chattisgarh, said he was approached at a railway station in Delhi with the promise of a job.
Responsible for supporting his two brothers and his two young children, he accepted the offer and was brought to Muzaffarnagar.
"I have been here for four months. I have missed my family a lot," he said.
