Ranchi, April 18 : Ranchi police last night rescued a
13-year-old domestic help working for a professor of English at St
Xavier's College hours after the minor girl called up a childline number
alleging her employer physically abused her.
The Latehar girl, found with several marks of injury on her body,
stayed at the residence of college teacher Mamta Chaudhary at Heritage
Swarnrekha Apartment, Bariatu thana area, but was recovered from the woman's father's house in Morabadi.
So far, it is not clear if the 13-year-old accused Mamta or her
father or both of beating her. Ranchi district child welfare committee
(CWC) members say she is too scared to speak coherently.
After the victim called on the childline number 1098 yesterday
afternoon, CWC and Ranchi NGO Diya Seva Sansthan contacted Sadar police
station, which referred the matter to Bariatu thana. Bariatu police asked Mamta to hand over the girl. Mamta told police that the girl was at her father's house in Morabadi.
The child was found in Morabadi with nail marks on her neck, as well as other injury marks on her body.
She was sent to a shelter. This morning, the CWC counselled her.
So far no FIR has been lodged in the case.
Contacted about the delay in the FIR, Ranchi city SP Jaya Roy told
The Telegraph that she sought the status update of the case. "Legal
action can be started once the CWC or the minor girl lodges a complaint
at the police station concerned. So far, they have not lodged any FIR,"
said the city SP.
CWC member Meera Mishra, on her part, said the reason behind the
delay was because the child was "frightened". "She is being counselled.
Once she gets normal, an FIR will be lodged," she said.
Mishra said it looked like the 13-year-old had been physically and
mentally abused. "There were injury marks on her body. She told us that
few months ago she was hit with a hockey stick," she said.
Hailing from a dirt-poor home in Mahuatand area of Latehar, the girl
had been working as a maid for the last two years, she has said.
She said she worked in shifts at both homes of Mamta and her father.
When Mamta left to teach, the girl went to her father's house in
Morabadi. She returned to Bariatu in the evening when Mamta came back.
Mamta could not be contacted for her comments despite repeated attempts.
The CWC will contact the minor's family members in Latehar. For now, she will stay at the shelter.