Girl burnt with hot rod, kept hungry, rescued from Shaheen Bagh

The girl was employed as a domestic help at a house in Abul Fazal Enclave-II. (Source: File/ Representational)

A 16-year-old girl, who was allegedly forced to work for nearly 20 hours a day, denied food and burnt with hot iron, was rescued from a house in Southeast Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, police said on Saturday.

The girl was employed as a domestic help at a house in Abul Fazal Enclave-II. The employer, Sadaf, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody.

The matter came to light after child rights organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan filed a police complaint alleging that a minor was being employed as a child labourer in Kalkaji subdivision.

Subsequently, a rescue operation was conducted by the Labour department, Delhi Police and NGO representatives on November 3 and 4. During the operation, the 16-year-old was rescued from the house.

On November 4, following directions from the Kalkaji sub-divisional magistrate, a case was registered at Shaheen Bagh police station under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. No arrest has been made so far.

In her statement to the police, the girl said that she was made to work from 6 am to 2 am, doing household chores. She alleged she was given tea around 11 am and often served leftover food. She also said that her employer repeatedly burnt her with a hot iron on her back, hands and hips and wounded her with a heated knife.

Several injuries and old scars, including burn marks across her back and deep wounds on her head, were found on her body, according to the NGO. The girl also told authorities that she was once deprived of food and water for three days and was beaten over minor mistakes.

Story continues below this ad

According to the police, the girl was allegedly prevented from meeting her parents, who were allowed to speak to her over the phone only two or three times in nearly a year. During these calls, her face was covered so that they could not see her injuries, the NGO claimed.

Her statement was recorded before a magistrate, and she was produced before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), which directed that she be admitted to AIIMS for medical treatment.