NHRC suo motu intervention results in the MEA swiftly getting rescued six Indian workers facing torture in captivity by their employer in Thailand since last several months

NHRC suo motu intervention results in the MEA swiftly getting rescued six Indian workers facing torture in captivity by their employer in Thailand since last several months

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India’s suo motu intervention has resulted in the Union Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) acting swiftly in getting rescued six Indian workers facing torture in captivity by their employer in Thailand since last six months. Four of them were repatriated to India the very next day of the NHRC communication to the MEA on 20th February 2026. They reached Kolkata by a flight booked by their employer from Bangkok.

The MEA’s Southern Division has informed that it is pursuing the matter of repatriation of the remaining two rescued workers with the Thai immigration authorities as they had overstayed their visa.

It may be recalled that on 20th February 2026, the Commission had sought the comments of the MEA whether they could render any assistance to the families of the six captive workers after taking cognizance of a media report. Moving promptly on receiving the NHRC communication, the MEA’s Southern Division sent a request to the Thai authorities to rescue them and also contacted the owner of the company, where the six workers were reportedly working.

The media had reported about a video on 17th February 2026 wherein the workers from Kendrapara district of Odisha had recorded their plight. They were being held captive and subjected to physical as well as mental torture by their employer inside a factory in an area near Bangkok. They were forced to work for 12 hours a day in a plywood factory without any salary and proper food. Reportedly, their employer had also confiscated their passports.