Police rescued a minor girl, allegedly employed as a maid with a family at a posh apartment complex, after a complaint was lodged with a helpline on Wednesday claiming she was beaten up after being caught trying to flee the house coming down a water pipe.

A little before noon, a police team from Chutia and Hindpiri stations, along with members of an NGO, reached Shahdeo Tower at posh Pee Pee Compound and took away the girl.

After initial formalities, she was sent to Premashraya, a shelter home.

According to officer-in-charge of Chutia police station Dinesh Kumar Mali, they swung into action after a complaint was lodged with a missing children's helpline run by local NGO Diya Seva Sansthan.

He said the girl, who is from Nouri village in Rangamati in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, had been handed over to Child Welfare Committee for recording her statement.

"A case will be filed later on the basis of inputs provided by CWC. If she is below 14, then a case of child labour will be slapped against her employers," Mali said.

According to sources, the helpline received an anonymous complaint, alleging that the girl had been kept against her wishes at a house owned by one Satnam Singh at Shahdeo Tower.

"She tried to flee Tuesday night by climbing down a pipe from the fifth floor apartment. But she was caught and later beaten up by her employers," alleged Baidhyanath Kumar of the NGO.

"The girl cannot speak Hindi. She only knows Kurmali. Her statement was recorded with the help of a translator," he added.

Satnam conceded to The Telegraph that the girl was unwilling to live with them, but denied causing her any physical harm. He said the girl's parents were due to come on Thursday and take her back.

The house owner claimed they had employed her as a goodwill gesture after her parents got in touch with them.

"The girl's father and uncle brought her at our place on August 10, asking us to keep her as they were too poor to feed her. We agreed because we wanted a maid. But after few days she said she did not want to live with us. Then, we spoke to her parents, who first asked us to try and convince her. But she insisted on going back. Then we asked them to come and take her back," he said.

Satnam added that another girl from the same village was employed at a neighbour's house. "The girl's parents approached us through them. It's a lesson for us now not to believe anyone," he sighed.