Overview
- Prosecutors ordered the detention of Aji Appukuttan, whom judges have since confirmed in custody, after investigators say he acted as the on-site intermediary controlling Indian manual workers.
- Authorities placed Caddell Construction under emergency judicial control and barred a company manager from leaving the country after inspectors collected worker testimony and documents pointing to systematic abuses.
- Witness statements and Carabinieri probes describe a recruitment chain from New Delhi that charged migrants fees, paid workers roughly €1.50–€2 per hour, and forced at least 50 men to open Italian bank accounts with automatic €500 monthly withdrawals for housing.
- Investigators say Appukuttan also demanded €350 a month in cash for meals, used threats of dismissal and repatriation to silence workers, and sent messages in group chats urging employees not to speak to police.
- Short-term remedies agreed at the site include no Saturday shifts, a 45-hour weekly limit and an end to pay deductions for food and lodging while the probe continues and possible further arrests, charges and civil compensation are considered.