Teenage help ‘tortured’ by employer, rescued

Tribune News Service

Anshita Mehra

New Delhi, March 26

A teenage girl, Pushpa (name changed), from West Bengal, who was working as a domestic help, was rescued from a residence in Ghaziabad’s Vasundhra area where she was allegedly being tortured by her employer, Reena Sharma.

Helplines for reporting such cases

Members of the community have an opportunity to speak out against such atrocities and support the victims by reaching out to the childline at 1098 or contacting the child helpline number 1800 102 7222.

Pushpa, who was located under the stairs where she was hiding, sustained severe injuries, including swollen limbs, wounds, and burns. The rescue operation was spearheaded by the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA), which is also known as Bachpan Bachao Andolan. The association filed an FIR against Reena Sharma with the Indirapuram Police Station on March 25. The accused is facing charges under Sections 3 and 14 of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986, and Sections 75 and 79 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015.

Pushpa, who originally hails from Siliguri, West Bengal, had been employed at Reena’s residence for a year. She was primarily tasked with domestic chores. She regularly faced assaults whenever tasks remained incomplete or mistakes were made. Upon her rescue, Pushpa showed her injuries.

Recalling the night of March 24, Pushpa recounted how Reena assaulted her and even sat on her chest, ignoring her cries for help. Fleeing from the abuse, Pushpa sought refuge under the stairs until she was located by a member of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) the next morning. The members promptly facilitated her rescue.

Post-rescue, Pushpa received medical attention.

Narrating her ordeal, Pushpa revealed the extent of her employer’s cruelty, describing instances of being beaten up with rods and subjected to gruelling work hours from early morning until late at night. Despite her traumatic experiences, Pushpa’s parents were unaware of her working conditions, as she feared repercussions if she dared to disclose the truth to them.

Such cases have been reported in the past as well. Last December, a distressing incident involving a 13-year-old domestic worker, who was allegedly subjected to assault, dog bites, and forced stripping by her employing family in Gurugram, came to light. Similarly, in August 2022, a 28-year-old woman was arrested, along with her family, for stripping and assaulting her 43-year-old domestic worker in suspicion of theft, leading the victim to attempt suicide by consuming rat poison.

In another appalling incident in December 2022, a 20-year-old woman was beaten up by a family in Noida over having jaggery. The incident of forcibly dragging the woman into the building’s elevator was captured on CCTV, prompting the police to register a case.

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