The 14-year-old boy from North Dinajpur who had been tortured in an industrial unit at Maheshtala in North 24 Paraganas was detained by a railway vendor who forced him to work as a servant for over a month, claimed the child.

“The vendor, who was monocular, was known as Mano. He used to stay alone at home and apprehended me after I fled from the industrial unit. I was forced to work as a servant at his home. He would constantly threaten me that if I planned to escape, he would kill me,” said the boy who reached his home on Wednesday evening.

In May this year, the boy and his brother, who are from Chagharia, a village under the jurisdiction of Islampur police station in North Dinajpur, were taken to Maheshtala by a villager for a job. The duo were engaged at the jeans dying unit.

In June, a video circulated on social media, showing the boy being hung upside down from the ceiling and being beaten with a belt.

After the incident, his family filed a police complaint. The Rabindranagar police station, under whose jurisdiction the industrial unit is located, arrested the tormentors. The boy, however, went missing.

As he could not be traced, his family, along with some villagers, resorted to protests.

The police continued the probe but could not trace him. On Wednesday evening, the boy reached his village, and an e-rickshaw driver took him to his home.

“We had lost all hope, but fortunately, my son has come back. He, however, seems to be in shock as he is sitting silently and not having much conversation. The police want to take him to Calcutta for investigation. I will not let him go alone and will accompany him,” said his mother.

Sources said a team from the Islampur police station reached his home and took him to the trauma centre at the subdivisional hospital in Islampur. He was treated there and was released on Thursday night.

“A team from the Rabindranagar police station has reached here and wants to take him to Calcutta. We have sought some time from them to ensure that he recovers from the shock,” said his uncle.

Police sources said that the team had asked the family to keep the boy with them till Saturday. “They want to take him to Calcutta on Sunday. If any member of his family intends to accompany him, the team has no issues. Police personnel have been posted at his house,” said a police officer.