Teen House Help Stripped, Locked Up By Gurugram Family; 3 Booked

A Gurugram family allegedly tripped, filmed and tortured a 13-year-old girl. The girl worked as a house help at the family's home. The Gurugram Police have arrested the family which included a woman and two sons and are facing charges under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and the Juvenile Justice Act. The family resided in Sector 57, Gurugram's Cuber City. 

The girl's mother filed the complaint. According to the complaint, the two sons and their mother taped the girl's mouth, stripped her and thrashed her with an iron rod and hammer. They also poured acid on her hand. They threatened to kill her or send her to a brothel if she complained about them. 

When the girl was rescued she was found locked inside a room with tape around her mouth. The mother alleged that the family made the girl do all kinds of work from cooking, cleaning, and washing clothes to caring for a dog. The family had not given a salary for the last four months and did not let her talk to her mother for four months. 

The girl was rescued with the help of an Indian Air Force Officer at whose home the mother worked. 

Similar cases of assault of minor domestic help

In February this year, another couple was arrested in Gurugram for assaulting house help. According to reports, the couple tortured its 17-year-old house help who hailed from Jharkhand for over five months before she was rescued. The girl was disrobed and hit with hot metal as per the reports.

A police officer said, "The couple allegedly used to beat her mercilessly for not working properly. She has several cut and burn injuries, suspected to have been inflicted with a blade or hot tongs." She was also given food for days and was forced to eat from the leftovers in the dustbin. After being rescued, the girl was immediately admitted to the hospital with multiple injuries. 

In another case reported in September this year, a Major of the Indian Army and his wife in Assam were arrested for assaulting their minor domestic help. Major Shailendra Yadav and his wife Kimmy Ralson subjected the domestic help to severe abuse which included physical torture, stripping and scalding her with hot water.