Annual Report 2009-2010 4.224 An additional report dated 9 July 2009 was considered by the Commission on 9 November 2009 wherein the Commission observed as under :“There is no doubt that the house has been restored to Balvir Singh. However, the real issues, namely, (a) whether a bond debt was advanced to the labourer; (b) whether he was paid minimum wage; and (c) whether he was forced to render service in consideration of such debt have not been properly addressed by the SDM, Ferozepur in his report”. 4.225 Holding that this was a clear case of bonded labour, the Commission directed the Deputy Commissioner of Ferozpur to take appropriate steps for issue of release certificate in favour of Balvir Singh and also pay to him a sum of Rs. 20,000/- as admissible under the Central Scheme. 4.226 The compliance report along with the proof of payment is awaited in the given case. 37. Inordinate Delay in Rehabilitation of Bonded Labourer due to Non-Availability of Funds in Jamui District of Bihar (Case No.2349/4/2006-2007) 4.227 The Commission received a complaint dated 6 November 2006 from one Jamni Devi, wife of Baldev Ravidas and resident of Mohanpur Village falling under the jurisdiction of Laxmipur Police Station in Jamui District of Bihar. In her complaint, she alleged inaction on the part of the police with regard to the fact that her husband was still being treated as a bonded labourer, and further physical and mental harassment was being caused to her husband by all those persons whom she had indicted in her complaint for the last 12 to13 years and thus requested the Commission to look into the ma�er. 4.228 The Commission took cognizance of the ma�er on 24 November 2006 and in response a preliminary report dated 10 January 2007 was received from the Superintendent of Police, Jamui. The report stated that in the concerned ma�er, a case Crime No.176/06 u/s 344/347/420/468/34 of the IPC, Section 3 of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and Sections 16 and 20 of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, had been registered and the same was being investigated. Reports further received from the District Magistrate, Jamui vide le�er dated 3 October 2009, enclosing therein the report of the Superintendent of Police, Jamui dated 30 September 2009, revealed that Rs.20,000/- had been sanctioned in favour of the victim for his rehabilitation under the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976 and a sum of Rs.10,000/- was paid and the remaining balance of Rs.10,000/- will be paid on receipt of grants from the Central Government, for which the Department of Labour & Employment, Government of India have already been requested. In addition, the report mentioned that Criminal Case No.174/06 had been registered against all the five named accused persons and chargesheet too against one of the accused Rana Singh had been filed in the court on 8 December 2007. The main accused Kishto Singh had died on 11 September 2007 and warrants against the remaining three, namely, Pinkoo Singh, Nawal Singh and Shankar Singh were awaited from the court. It was also informed that a departmental proceeding against Investigating Officer Chander Prakash Jha whose conduct was found to be doubtful was being initiated. 4.229 The Commission considered the ma�er on 29 October 2009 and observed the concerned bonded labourer was identified more than three years ago, but the victim had not yet been 52 NHRC