New Delhi :The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, through its suo motu intervention, has facilitated the rescue of six Indian workers who had reportedly been held captive and subjected to torture by their employer in Thailand for nearly six months.
Following the intervention, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acted promptly to secure their release. Four of the rescued workers were repatriated to India a day after the NHRC communicated the matter to the ministry on 20 February 2026. They returned to the country via a flight from Bangkok and landed in Kolkata, with the travel arrangements reportedly made by their employer.
According to information shared by the Southern Division of the MEA, efforts are currently underway to repatriate the remaining two workers. Their return has been delayed as they had overstayed their visas, and the matter is being coordinated with Thai immigration authorities.
The issue came to light after the NHRC took cognisance of a media report and issued a communication to the Ministry of External Affairs on 20 February 2026, asking whether assistance could be extended to the families of the affected workers.
Acting swiftly upon receiving the NHRC’s communication, the MEA’s Southern Division contacted the relevant authorities in Thailand and requested immediate action to rescue the workers. The ministry also reached out to the owner of the company where the workers were reportedly employed.
Earlier media reports had highlighted a video recorded on 17 February 2026 by the workers, who belong to the Kendrapara district. In the video, they described their difficult situation, claiming they were being held captive and subjected to physical and mental torture inside a plywood factory located near Bangkok.
The workers alleged that they were forced to work for 12 hours a day without salary or proper food, while their employer had also confiscated their passports, preventing them from leaving the premises.
The swift intervention by the National Human Rights Commission and the coordinated action of the Ministry of External Affairs have helped secure the rescue of the workers and initiated steps for their safe return to India.