35 Women From Chhattisgarh Allegedly Held in Jharkhand, Demand to Return Home

Viral Video Shows Distressed Trainees Trapped Without Funds to Leave Nursing Centre

A distressing video has surfaced showing women from Chhattisgarh, allegedly held against their will at a nursing training centre in Jharkhand's Garhwa district, pleading to be allowed to return home. At least 35 young women, including 15 from Kanker district alone, are reportedly trapped at the facility after being promised legitimate nursing employment.

The viral clip, recorded by one of the women and circulated on social media over the weekend, captures the gravity of the situation. A tearful woman from Dhamtari district is heard saying she is being prevented from leaving because she cannot afford the fees demanded by the training centre authorities. Another woman visible in the footage can be heard insisting that the trainee will not be released until payment is made.

Complaints Pour In Over Detention

The case came to the notice of Kanker district administration after the video spread widely on social platforms. Local activist Lalit Nareti immediately flagged the situation and contacted both Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand officials to initiate rescue operations. "We are treating this as a potential human trafficking case," Nareti stated, adding that several girls reported being coerced into work beyond their training schedules.

Kanker Collector Nilesh Kumar Khirsagar confirmed receipt of multiple distress calls from Garhwa over the past week. "We have established contact with the Jharkhand district administration. The women were sent there under the pretext of nursing training, but complaints suggest they are being detained illegally," Khirsagar told reporters on Tuesday.

Training Centre Accused of Coercion

According to initial reports from the families of the trapped women, the facility operators promised residential nursing training programmes with guaranteed placement. Women were charged substantial fees and assured they would be trained as per Indian nursing council guidelines. However, once enrolled, they allegedly faced excessive work hours, poor living conditions, and restrictions on movement.

One woman told her family via phone that she and others were not permitted to leave the premises without permission. Another trainee mentioned that some girls had attempted to leave but were prevented from doing so by staff members citing unpaid "training dues."

Jharkhand Police Launch Special Investigation

Garhwa police have formed a special task force to locate the women and conduct a thorough investigation. "We have initiated a search and inquiry operation. If there is evidence of forced labour or human trafficking, strict action will be taken under relevant laws," a police official from Garhwa confirmed.

The investigation is examining whether the centre operators acted in violation of the Bonded Labour System Abolition Act and anti-trafficking provisions. While some of the women are adults who may have willingly joined, authorities are particularly concerned about potential cases of exploitation and illegal detention.

Mixed Circumstances Complicate Cases

The Kanker collector acknowledged that circumstances vary for different women. "Some are adults who chose to work there independently. However, at least one explicit complaint of wrongful detention has been filed. We cannot take all cases uniformly," Khirsagar explained, adding that verification of each woman's status is underway.

The district administration is coordinating directly with Jharkhand counterparts to ensure the women are either safely returned or allowed to complete their commitments without coercion. "Once the situation is clarified, we will send a team to Garhwa to take legal action and bring back those who wish to return," the collector said.

Social Workers Push for Immediate Action

Social workers have demanded immediate intervention, citing the viral video as sufficient grounds for urgent rescue operations. "The conditions described and the visible distress in that video indicate these women are in danger. We cannot wait for bureaucratic clearances," Nareti said, urging both state governments to prioritise the matter.

The case has raised fresh concerns about the regulation of nursing training centres across eastern India, where hundreds of institutions operate with minimal oversight. Authorities in Chhattisgarh have announced they will audit all similar training facilities in the state to prevent future incidents of this nature.

Parallel Case Surfaces in State

The Chhattisgarh police meanwhile arrested two men in Mahasamund district for allegedly holding a woman in bondage and forcing her to work without wages. The woman was lured from Uttar Pradesh with promises of higher earnings before being forced into bonded labour for several months. Both accused have been sent to judicial custody.

Officials say the two cases highlight a broader pattern of human trafficking networks targeting young women from rural areas with false employment promises. Inter-state coordination is being strengthened to dismantle such networks.