Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: A seven-year-old domestic help working in the house of an engineer of the central public works department today brought allegation of torture by his employer.

Childline officials with the help of Kharavela Nagar police rescued the child, a native of Dhenkanal. The police have also detained the engineer, Fakir Mohan Rout, 46, a native of Cuttack district, for interrogation.

The Childline members alleged that Rout and his family members used to beat the boy during his stay with them in the past six months. "During counselling, the boy told us that he had been doing domestic chores, such as cleaning the house and washing clothes and utensils. The boy also told us that Rout and his wife used to beat him mercilessly. He also alleged that Rout's wife had once even poured hot water on him. We also found burn marks on his body," said Harapriya Pati, a member of Childline who also lodged a police complaint.

Pati said the boy was studying in Class II when a villager, Dilip Rout, brought him to Bhubaneswar for work and left him with the Routs in the CPWD Colony at Unit-IV.

"The boy's father is a daily wage labourer. The boy also said he had not received any money from his employer," alleged Pati.

The matter came to light after Rout's neighbours informed Childline about the boy's ordeal.

Rout, however, denied the allegations and said he kept the boy with him after his father had approached him. "I have even planned to send him to school. I have never treated him as a domestic help and allowed him to mingle with my five-year-old son. The burn marks on his body was caused when he came in contact with a burning mosquito coil while playing with my son," said Rout.

Kharvela Nagar police station inspector in charge Sanjeev Satpathy said: "We are investigating to ascertain the circumstances in which the minor boy landed in Bhubaneswar," said Satpathy.

Child rights activists demanded stringent action against the engineer. "Everyone is aware that no minor can be hired as a domestic help. The family not only engaged the victim in household works, but also abused him. The police should take stringent action against the family," said Chitta Ranjan Das, a child rights activist.