Police today rescued a minor girl allegedly tortured by her employer in Odisha’s Bhadrak district.
Police has rescued a minor girl from one Babaji Charana Padhi’s house in Jagannathpur area in the town. Parida is
detained for interrogation on the basis of two FIRs lodged against him”, inspector-in-charge of town police station
Suresh Patra said.
The complaints alleged in FIRs that Padhi had unleashed physical and mental torture on Manisa Jojo (13), daughter of Philip Jojo of Lowram in Sundergarha district, who was working as a maid in his house for over last two years.
Alleging that the girl was being tortured by the septuagenarian Padhi, who was staying alone in his house and
doing dog business, Sk Sofia, a woman activist, had sought the help of police to rescue her.
Besides, local youth activists of Siridi Sai Youth Association (SSYA) had lodged an FIR against Padhi on same
charges. “We are eyewitness of her torment during our several visits to to Padhi’s house,” said Pradip Kumar Sahu of SSYA.
Padhi was forcing the girl to clean the utensils of twenty dogs and their defecation. She was forced to sleep in
the verandah without any bed and the employer used to mercilessly beat her up, alleged Pradip.
According to Sofia, Manisa had narrated the physical and mental trauma she went through in Padhi’s house where she
was not even given treatment after she suffered from dog-bite.
I have lodged an FIR against Padhi and recorded Manisa’s statement under section 164 of CrPC after she was produced
before the police. She will remain with me till her parents come,” Sofia said.
————————————PTI