Almost four weeks after a maid was rescued from a Vasant Kunj residence, a similar horrifying incident has come to light from Sarojini Nagar area of South Delhi. This time around, the victim is a 13-year-old girl, a native of Manipur, who was brought to the Capital by an airhostess with Air India, to work as her domestic help.
The girl was being allegedly tortured for nearly two years and was confined to the house by her employer. The girl was kept captive in the house since accused Bira Thotiti would lock her up in the house when she was away on work.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the victim was allegedly confined to a house situated in Netaji Nagar for the last three days by her employer and was rescued by the South district police after she climbed to the terrace.
“On Monday afternoon, the victim placed a staircase next to a ventilator in the house and escaped to the terrace. She then jumped to the terrace of their neighbour’s house and ran downstairs,” a senior police officer said, adding that after escaping from the apartment, she narrated her ordeal to the neighbours and informed them that three days ago, she had been flogged with a belt by her employer, who was drunk, and had been locked inside the house ever since. She later informed the police control room about the matter after making a PCR call at 3.30 pm. The accused is yet to be arrested since she is in transit.
An NGO was also informed about the incident and the minor has given her statement to the Child Welfare Committee on Tuesday. “Investigation revealed that around two years ago, she was brought to the Capital from her village in Senapati district in Manipur by the elder sister of her employer, Bira Thotiti, on the pretext of giving her a good job and education,” the officer added.
The victim told the CWC that her employer used to come home at odd hours. After reaching home late at night, she used to ask the girl to give her a body massage and thrash her when she refused.
The victim was not allowed to contact her parents or neighbours. For the last two years, she had not been given the the wages promised to her when she had joined. “I was whipped mercilessly with a leather strop whenever I asked her for my wages,” the victim alleged.
The victim claimed that her employer had a canine in the house and used it to strike fear in her. “She used to lock me up inside the house, without food or water for days on end whenever she was flying,” the victim told the CWC in her complaint.