Almost a month after a teenage domestic help, allegedly tortured by her employer, was freed from a posh Vasant Kunj house, another 13-year-old maid was rescued from Sarojini Nagar in south Delhi last evening, police said today.
The girl claimed that she was frequently beaten up and kept locked in her room for days by her employer who works as an airhostess. Police have registered a case and are waiting for the airhostess to return to India.
"According to the victim, she hails from Imphal in Manipur and her employer's name is Bira Thoibi. She was bought to Delhi by Thoibi's sister two years ago and since then she had been staying with her at her rented two-bedroom house in Netaji Nagar C-Block," said a police official.
In her statement to the police, the girl said that Thoibi used to beat her up and tortured her. She was not allowed to talk to her family and was not paid.
She was locked inside her room whenever Thoibi went out on her job, he said.
This time too, Thoibi had locked her before leaving for work on Sunday. However, the girl somehow managed to break open her room's door.
She then went up to the terrace of the building crossed on to the neighbour's house and knocked on their terrace door, police said.
According to the neighbour, she narrated her ordeal asking for help after which they let her in their house and a call was made to the police. A PCR van reached the spot shortly and the girl was taken to AIIMS Trauma Centre from where she was discharged after some treatment and medical examination, police said.
"According to the medical examination report, although there were old injury marks on her body, no fresh injuries were found.
"A case under sections 323, 343, 370(4), 370(7) of the Indian Penal Code, section 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and section 316 Bonded Labour Act has been filed with Sarojini Nagar police station," the official said.
Police are waiting for Thoibi to return to India after which she would be questioned in the case and may be arrested.
