From Train Station to Torture: A Teen's Fight for Survival

Fifteen-year-old Santosh has finally returned to his home in Kishanganj, Bihar, but the scars of a harrowing six-month ordeal remain. What began as a brief attempt to fetch water during a train stop at Bahadurgarh railway station in Haryana turned into a nightmare of bonded labor, violence, and a life-altering injury.

In May last year, Santosh was traveling with his father, Bhimlal Rishidev, on the Farakka Express. When Santosh stepped onto the platform for water, the overcrowded train departed before he could get back on. Stranded without money or a phone, Santosh wandered for two days before a man offered him work, promising 10,000 rupees for two months of labor.

Instead of a job, Santosh was taken to a remote village near the Yamuna river and forced into bonded labor. He spent his days feeding buffaloes and cutting fodder under the threat of constant violence. When he tried to escape, he was caught and beaten by his employer and the employer's family. Meanwhile, his family searched desperately, moving between police stations in Haryana with no success.

The situation turned tragic when Santosh’s left arm was caught in a motorized fodder-cutting machine, severing the limb at the elbow. Rather than seeking medical help, his employer, Anil Kumar, allegedly wrapped the wound in cloth and drove for hours before abandoning the bleeding teenager in a remote area. Santosh was eventually found and taken to a hospital in Nuh, but he fled shortly after, fearing he would be returned to his captors.

Barely clothed and severely injured, Santosh walked through hilly terrain until two local teachers discovered him and alerted the police. Following an investigation, the accused employer was arrested in December after a lengthy manhunt.

Santosh underwent three surgeries before returning to his family in August. While he is physically home, his family says the trauma has changed him deeply, replacing his childhood innocence with a grim caution. The family now faces financial ruin due to medical costs and the closure of their small shop. They are currently waiting for a bonded labor release certificate, which is necessary for Santosh to access government welfare schemes and support for his recovery.