Acting on a tip-off, a Tarn Taran-based charitable society managed to rescue a mentally challenged individual from the clutches of a family of Tibba village in Sahnewal, which had kept him in bondage for several months.The society took to social media to inform his family about the rescue. Within three days, the kin of the victim reached Tarn Taran to collect the youth. A case has been registered against the head of the suspects’ family and his two sons at the Sahnewal police station. The family belongs to the Gujjar community.Jagjit Singh, president, Dhan Dhan Baba Ratan Dev Ji Charitable Society, said the victim, Imtehaaz (25), a native of Bihar, was married and had two children. “The youth used to reside with his uncle in Mullanpur Dakha from where he went missing five years ago. Ever since, his family has been searching for him. Hoping his recovery, the family started performing sewa at a gurdwara in Bathinda. As they came to know about the youth’s whereabouts through social media, they wasted no time in reaching Tarn Taran,” he said.He said when a team from the society reached Tibba, they saw Imtehaaz rearing the cattle of the family. “The family had caught him forcibly and was making him perform all daily chores for them. Whenever he tried to flee their custody, they would catch and punish him. They had been exploiting him and using him as a bonded labourer for the past several months,” he said. “Though the period of bondage is not clear as Imtehaaz is not in a position to tell about his ordeal, the day we brought him back, he was disturbed and used abusive language. Now, he is calm, eats well and sleeps soundly. He is getting medical treatment and seems to be happy.”The joy of Zohar, the mother of the victim, who along with her husband and brother-in-law, reached Tarn Taran, knew no bounds when she found her son safe. “It was like a miracle,” she said. “We have been searching for him everywhere. Thanks to social media, we found him. We are grateful to the society for rescuing him,” she added.“He is getting medical attention and seems to be comfortable,” said Zohar. Sahnewal SHO Varinder Uppal said the victim’s family had demanded compensation from the suspects, who had outrightly refused. “Since they failed to reach a decision, the victim’s family complained to the police. A case has been registered under Sections 127(2) and 3(5) of the BNS against Bholu Khan and his two sons, Rehmat Ali and Sadeek Khan. We will ensure that justice is served,” he said.