Meerut, July 3 -- The prime accused, Ankit Balyan, who owned the factory where over a dozen men had been kept as bonded labourers in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, was apprehended in Palwal district of Haryana on Thursday. Five UP Police teams had been hunting for him since June 23. Authorities said he was nabbed in the jurisdiction of the Hodal police station while allegedly carrying an illegal country-made firearm. Muzaffarnagar senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sanjai Kumar Verma confirmed the development, noting that UP authorities are in direct coordination with the Palwal SP. Balyan owned the factory manufacturing disposable leaf plates and bowls in Mandi village of Muzaffarnagar where, according to investigators, nearly a dozen labourers trafficked from Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttarakhand and various districts across Uttar Pradesh had been confined. The captive workers were allegedly forced to toil day and night without wages. Those who resisted faced severe repercussions, with police reports indicating the labourers were subjected to brutal beatings, prolonged starvation and systemic physical abuse as punishment. The alleged torture came to light after Vikram, a labourer from Rajasthan, managed to escape by scaling the factory's boundary wall after evading guards. Bleeding and visibly traumatised, Vikram reached Titawi police station and narrated his ordeal after which cops, accompanied by labour officials, raided the factory and rescued the remaining workers. The investigation has also uncovered the suspicious death of Arjun Topi, a labourer from Nepal who had been employed at the factory. Police allege that Arjun died after being subjected to torture by Ankit Balyan and his associates. Based on the findings, police have added charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder to the case. Following the incident, Balyan had been absconding since June 23 while police teams worked to trace his whereabouts. SSP SK Verma said Haryana Police informed Muzaffarnagar authorities about Balyan's arrest. The UP Police will obtain a B-warrant from the local court in Haryana to bring the accused to Muzaffarnagar for further investigation. He added that two labourers are still missing. During police remand, investigators will question Balyan about their whereabouts. Police had already arrested Ankit Balyan's father, Pradeep Balyan and the factory's chief supervisor, Shiva, a resident of Ukawali in Budhana. Both have been sent to judicial custody. Investigators also arrested Rabit, an alleged middleman accused of luring vulnerable labourers to the factory on false promises of employment....