In a shocking incident of bonded labour, a 15-year-old boy was forced into slavery by a dairy owner and permanently disabled after his arm was severed in a chaff cutter accident. The incident, which unfolded across Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, left the teenager traumatised, even as the accused now faces trial.The judicial custody of Anil Kumar of Uttar Pradesh, who enslaved Sanjay (name changed) and allegedly cut off parts of his arm with a blade after it got entangled in a chaff cutter last July was extended by 14 days by a Bahadurgarh court on January 28.Sanjay’s ordeal began in April 2025, when he arrived in Kangra (Himachal Pradesh) after travelling more than 1,500 km from Bihar’s Kishanganj district in search of work.After more than a month, Sanjay’s father came to pick him up from Kangra. Both reached Jind and on May 26, they boarded the Farakka Express from there. At Bahadurgarh railway station, Sanjay got down to buy food and water around 8 pm. He, however, failed to return to the train on time and missed it. He had no money or phone. His father searched for him at the next station, Delhi, but there was no way to contact him.At Bahadurgarh railway station, Anil Kumar (28), a dairy owner from Gautambuddh Nagar (UP), saw Sanjay crying. He took advantage of his situation and brought him to his dairy on a motorcycle. Sanjay was forced to tend to cattle and work in the fields. The dairy had 30-35 cows and buffaloes and Kumar kept a strict watch on him. On one occasion, Sanjay tried to escape but was caught.After about two months, while Sanjay was cutting fodder with a chaff cutter, his left arm was amputated at the elbow. He was bleeding and screaming in pain, but Kumar did not take him to a doctor.Talking to The Tribune, his father said, “That cruel man cut the remaining part of my son’s arm with a blade and gave him some medicine.” Sanjay was still writhing in pain. Frightened by possible police action, Kumar took him to the Palwal-Hasanpur road, gave him Rs 10,000 and abandoned him in a wounded state. He also allegedly threw the small pieces of Sanjay’s arm into the Yamuna.Meanwhile, a teacher helped Sanjay and took him to a Community Health Centre in Nuh. The local police contacted his father on July 29. Sanjay was referred to PGIMS, Rohtak, where he underwent four surgeries as the infection had spread.While Sanjay was too traumatised to narrate his tragic story, his father told the police how a dairy owner had forced his son to work and abandoned him after he lost his arm. Sanjay could not identify the place where he was confined, but said “azaan” from a mosque was audible there. On August 10, a case was registered at Bahadurgarh.Meanwhile, the Haryana Human Rights Commission took cognisance of the matter. Commission member Deep Bhatia told The Tribune, “The boy could recall that planes used to land nearby and that there was a river. I suggested to the police to look for the accused near the Jevar airport area along the Haryana-UP border, where trial landings are taking place.”After travelling across parts of Haryana, Delhi and UP along with Sanjay to locate the site, the police finally arrested Anil Kumar on December 30. He confessed to the crime.Meanwhile, Sanjay’s family is trying to come to terms with the tragedy in Kishanganj. “Sanjay has not been talking to anyone. He has just been eating and sleeping. He is traumatised,” said his father, who earns Rs 400 per day as a farm labourer. “But I don’t need a single penny from that ‘zaalim’ who left my child wounded,” he added.Sanjay’s elder brother said, “I will take care of Sanjay like my son. I will ensure that he continues his studies.”