The Khordha Child Welfare Committee (CWC) on Tuesday lodged a written complaint against the parents of the four-year-old girl, who was rescued on Monday from a locked house here, for alleged negligence in the care and compromising security of the child due to confinement.
The Khordha CWC filed the complaint at the Mancheswar police station against the working mother for confining the girl child to the house from dawn to dusk for last six months. The CWC, in its complaint, has mentioned that the child has suffered negligence in care and the confinement had posed security threats to her.
Notably, the girl was rescued by Ruchika Childline and Mancheswar police from a house at Kalarahanga under Mancheswar police station limits on Monday. The officials broke open the door and rescued the girl.
The 3-year-old mother, who works in a private hospital in the city, used to leave for her workplace by locking the girl in the house. The doors used to be opened after evening after the woman returning from work.
The child appeared visibly traumatised and insisted that she be dropped at her house.
“My mother will beat me up if she comes to know about this that I have come out of the home,” the girl said after being rescued from the home.
The minor girl was shifted to a shelter home by the authorities. The Khordha CWC denied custody of the girl to the parents and instead asked them to make permanent arrangement to keep the girl with them safe and secure.
The parents of baby on Tuesday appeared before the CWC and requested it to handover their girl to them.
“They come to us and seek the custody of the girl. But they have to make a permanent arrangement before taking the girl from us. They will inform us in writing what steps they will take to keep the girl with them with care,” said CWC member Benudhar Senapati.
Sudeshma Dash, the mother of the girl informed that they would certainly make alternative arrangement without any further delay.
“We will decide alternative arrangement soon and inform the CWC. We will never keep our daughter in a locked room further,” said Dash.