Bhubaneswar, Sept. 28: Members of Child Welfare Committee today slammed the police for not registering a strong case against the under secretary of the state law department for allegedly abusing his 12-year-old maid.
The girl, who is now under care of Childline, Khurda, has alleged harassment by the officer, Bhagaban Prasad Sahoo, and his wife.
The girl hailing from a poor family in Puri district was working as the domestic help in the house of the officer for the past six months.
“During counselling the girl told us that the couple used to hit her with hot iron rod and also didn’t provide her enough food to eat,” said a member of the commission.
The girl managed to escape from the clutches of the couple on September 22 and was later spotted by a PCR van.
The van took her to the police station and the police then handed her over to the Childline.
A case under Section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 34 (crime done by more than one person) of Indian Penal Code and section 23 and 26 of Juvenile Justice Act has been lodged against the couple.
“The sections, however, don’t ensure strong punishment. This shows that the police are being lenient towards the accused couple. They should have made out a case against him under the Child Labour Act. We have intimated the matter to the director of social welfare and requested him to initiate stringent action against the couple,” said a member of the committee Benudhar Senapati.
The members said when the girl was brought to their office she was so traumatised that she could not speak clearly about the nature of abuse. “During counselling, she told us that the couple used to give her stale food. There were several injury marks on her body,” said Senapati.
Sources said the officer had remained absent from office since the matter came to light. His government quarters is also under lock and key.
“We have registered a case and also served notices to Sahoo and his wife. We are waiting for the medical reports of the girl,” said deputy commissioner of police Satyabrata Bhoi.
