A six-year-old child tortured by a couple is undergoing treatment in the District Headquarters Hospital (DHH) here. He was rescued by the District Child Protection Unit (DPCU) from a house in Soro, following compliant of mental and physical torture, including hot iron branding.
The maternal grandfather of the victim while lodged an FIR with the assistance of DCPU, the Soro police began an investigation.
Police, however, said that accused, in their mid forties, had fled the house fearing arrest. “On the compliant of the grandfather of the victim and the DCPU, a case has been registered under several sections against the accused couple including attempt to murder. The child was tortured both mentally and physically; even he was subjected to hot ion branding. The victim is undergoing treatment in the
DHH and his statement recording is underway,” said IIC Soro Dilip Sahu.
Meanwhile, the accused couple was identified as Sridhar Mahalik and his wife Pauni Mahalik, residents of Mugunipur village under Dandaharipur panchayat of Soro block. According to DCPU sources , the minor victim, after his father’s death, was with his maternal grandfather house at Talapada, under Khantapara police station as her mother had left her in the house facing difficulties to maintain her two other children.
The accused couple had approached the victim’s grandfather to hand over the child as they were not having any son.
The couple had taken the kid about a year ago when the victim was only 5-year-old.
However, he was not given adequate food and facilities; rather he was made to work like a domestic help. He was physically assaulted and even branded with hot iron.
“There are marks on the body of the victim showing that he was tortured physically. The child handing over was not also made in proper legal procedure. The DCPU would take appropriate action,” said legal and probation officer DCPU Muktikanta Panda.