NEW DELHI, July 19 (PTI): A 10-year-old girl working as a domestic help at a couple’s house in southwest Delhi’s Dwarka was allegedly beaten up by the two on Wednesday, following which a mob manhandled the duo, police said.
The accused – Kaushik Bagchi (36) and Poornima Bagchi (33) – have been arrested for assaulting the minor, they said.
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Police said the woman works as a pilot in a private airline while her husband is deployed as a ground staff at another one. After the incident came to light, the couple was confronted by the victim’s relatives who also manhandled them.
The minor was employed at the couple’s house through the victim’s relative who also works in a nearby house, they added.
In a purported video, the alleged couple could be seen manhandled and beaten up by a mob. Some of the women were also seen slapping and pulling the hair of the accused woman, who was in her uniform.
Poornima was heard apologising in the video while Kaushik was seen shielding her from the agitated mob saying that “she would die…Leave her..”. The crowd dispersed after an elderly man intervened.
Deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) M Harsha Vardhan said around 9 am, information was received at Dwarka South police station regarding the mistreatment of a child who worked as a domestic help.
It was found that a 10-year-old girl, who had been working at the couple’s house for the last two months, was beaten up by the duo on Wednesday. The alleged assault was also witnessed by the minor’s relatives.
After the matter came to notice, a crowd gathered outside the couple’s residence. They confronted the couple and later manhandled them, the DCP said.
The minor girl was medically examined and counselled by a counsellor, he added.
According to police, the victim has injuries on her eyes and also has burn marks on her body.
“We have registered a case under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) of the Indian Penal Code, Child Labour Act and section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act,” the DCP said.
No allegations of sexual harassment have been levelled by the victim, police said.
an action would be taken against those who manhandled the couple, the officer said that the action will be taken as per the complaint.
Meanwhile, Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal condemned the incident and said that the strictest action should be taken against such “merciless people” for keeping a minor girl as a domestic servant and brutally torturing her.
“A 10-year-old girl was kept as a domestic servant by a female pilot and her husband in Delhi and was brutally tortured. An answer has been sought from Delhi Police in this matter. Strictest action should be taken against such merciless people,” she said in a tweet in Hindi.
