Rescued bonded labourers must be paid within seven days of the release certificate, Supreme Court rules

2 November 2026

The Supreme Court has laid down nationwide directions on how rescued bonded labourers must be rehabilitated. The case is Surendra Manjhi and another versus Union of India and others, decided by Justices Vikram Nath and Aparesh Kumar Singh. A complaint should ordinarily be verified within 24 hours, and a release certificate issued within 24 hours of bondage being established. Immediate financial assistance should ordinarily reach the worker within seven days of that certificate. The Court said assistance cannot be held back only because investigation or prosecution is still going on. The revised Standard Operating Procedure of 14 May 2026 must be applied uniformly by States and Union Territories within six months. Every State must name a nodal officer, run Vigilance Committees at district and sub-divisional level, and keep the NAVJIVAN portal updated. The dispute arose from a 2019 brick kiln rescue in Uttar Pradesh in which 17 of the 42 workers issued release certificates were still awaiting their aid.