The victims were freed when a local human rights organization named People's Watch came to help and rescued them on May 28. Activists claim atleast 20 such women have complained sexual violence here. "One of the women gave a written complaint at Kelambakkam police station on June 6, narrating the sexual assaults and tortures inflicted by the employer. The FIR was registered, however, the police have not invoked provisions for rape as elucidated in the IPC. Instead, they have only invoked provisions of the SC & ST Act, and the accused employer has not been arrested due to immense political pressure, Aseervatham, the State Coordinator of People's Watch," told The Mooknayak. He further informed that when no action was taken, the women went to the DGP office on June 22 and gave written complaints but FIRs haven't been registered yet.

Aseervatham informed that these women along with their families were brought in to work at the wood cutting unit from several places and were forced to live in miserable conditions. They did not have clean water to drink , nor were they given adequate food to eat. The laborers were made to work from 6am to 6pm continuously and sometimes even made to work past midnight. "Since they are uneducated and cannot read or write, the employer paid them as little as 100 rupees per day and made them sign on receipts depicting larger sums. The wages were also not paid on time and the men suffered verbal and physical abuses while the women were molested, raped and tortured severely while their husbands were away at work" Aseervatham explained.