8-yr-old girl hired as help, beaten up, hands slashed with blade

Kolkata: Two persons were arrested by the officers of the Baruipur Women police station for allegedly employing an eight-year-old girl as a domestic help at a home in Modarhat, Baruipur.

The accused woman, who hired the girl and reportedly tortured her, was arrested on Wednesday morning. Later on Thursday, the maternal uncle of the girl was held for forcing the girl to work as a help.

According to sources, the eight-year-old girl lived with her parents and five siblings at Ghutiyari Sharif.

Her parents decided to employ her as a domestic helper to support their family.

The girl's maternal uncle Asmat Shaikh had information that a family in Baruipur was looking for a domestic helper.

He got in touch with Anjumina Khatun at Modarhat in Baruipur, who was allegedly looking for helper.

Approximately five months ago Shaikh had taken the girl to Khatun. It is alleged Khatun used to force the girl to do all the household work. Khatun use to beat up the girl when she refused to work.

It is alleged that Khatun used a blade to slash the girl's hands when she was not happy with her work .

The victim girl said she was even not provided proper food.

When she couldn't bear the torture any more, she risked her life to climb down the water pipe from the roof and fled from Khatun's house.

But as she was not familiar with the area, she started crying after reaching a primary school. On seeing the girl crying, a teacher of the school consoled her. Later, the girl narrated the incident to the teacher.

When the schoolteacher came to know about the torture, he immediately informed the Baruipur women police station. After the police complaint was lodged, the officers immediately nabbed Khatun and produced her before the Baruipur Court on Wednesday.

She has been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days by the magistrate. The victim girl has been sent to a home located in Sonarpur.

Later on Thursday, police arrested Shaikh from Changa Islamnagar in Baruipur for allegedly forcing a minor girl to work as a domestic help. He will be produced before the Baruipur Court on Friday with an appeal for his police remand.