A 16-year-old domestic helper was rescued from severe physical abuse and forced labour in Delhi, leading to the arrest of her employer following a joint operation by police and child rights organizations.

A 16-year-old domestic helper was rescued from severe physical abuse and forced labour in Delhi, leading to the arrest of her employer following a joint operation by police and child rights organizations.

A 16-year-old domestic helper was rescued from severe physical abuse and forced labour in Delhi, leading to the arrest of her employer following a joint operation by police and child rights organizations.

In a disturbing case, a 16-year-old girl was rescued from south-east Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, from Moradabad, after it was alleged that the people who employed her as a domestic helper forced her to work up to 20 hours a day for a year without proper pay.

The minor girl was also allegedly assaulted and burned with a hot iron rod and starved for several days.

Police said she was employed as a domestic helper at a house in Abdul Fazal Enclave-II.

Police arrested the employer, a woman named Sadaf, and sent them to judicial custody.

The incident came to light after a child rights organisation, Bachpan Bachao Andolan, filed a police complaint alleging that a minor was being employed as a child labourer in Kalkaji subdivision.

The Delhi police, NGO representatives and the Labour department conducted a rescue operation on November 3 and 4. During the enquiry, it was revealed that the girl was sent to Moradabad by the owner of the house.

A case was registered at Shaheen Bagh police station under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986. However, no arrests have been made.

According to the minor’s statement to the police, she was made to work from 6 am to 2 am doing household chores.

She was also served leftover food and given just tea at around 11 am,

She also said that her employer repeatedly burned her with a hot iron on several parts of her body, including her back, hands, and hips. She was also wounded with a heated knife

The NGO discovered that the minor child had several injuries and old scars, including burn marks on her back and deep wounds on her head.

The girl also said that she was once not given food and water for three days and beaten over minor mistakes by her employer who she referred to as “madam’.

She was also only given over-the-counter medication for her injuries,

The girl was also prevented from speaking to or meeting her parents; they were only allowed to speak to her two to three times a year. Her face would be covered during the calls to conceal her injuries.,

She was also reportedly threatened with death if she disclosed the abuse to anyone.

According to the Dhananjay Tingal, the National coordinator of Assosiation for voluntary action, the girl was only paid Rs 18,000 for a year of work. He said, “The extent of cruelty she has endured is deeply disturbing.”

Her statement was recorded before a magistrate, and she was produced before the Child Welfare Committee. They directed that she undergo a medical examination.

The teen was admitted to AIMS for further treatment . She told the CWC that she wanted to resume her studies and become a teacher.

Further investigations into the case are underway.

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