The most practical step would be to serve a Notice, preferably, through an advocate requesting for return of the Certificates. The Notice could be served by Registered post and copies may be endorsed by fax/e-mail. The next course of action could be decided on the basis of their response or lack of it.
The detaining of the certificates and demanding payments for returning them amounts to the criminal offence of Extortion.
Even otherwise, the employer has no power or right to keep certificates for realising the alleged Bond money as decided them; even if any such amount really realisable, they need to adopt the due process of law - there cannot be any unilateral enforcement keeping the certificates in bargain.
This is a wide spread abuse. It is unworthy of the educated persons to succumb to such abuses.
The detaining of the certificates and demanding payments for returning them amounts to the criminal offence of Extortion.
Even otherwise, the employer has no power or right to keep certificates for realising the alleged Bond money as decided them; even if any such amount really realisable, they need to adopt the due process of law - there cannot be any unilateral enforcement keeping the certificates in bargain.
This is a wide spread abuse. It is unworthy of the educated persons to succumb to such abuses.