SDO, family booked for 'torturing' minor help

Patna: The Patna police on Saturday lodged an FIR against Jainagar (in Madhubani district) SDO Ghulam Mustafa Ansari, his wife Shibu Khatoon and their two minor children for allegedly torturing a 10-year-old girl, who was forcibly made to work in their house as a domestic help. The family lives at flat number 402 of Mecca Towers in Indrapuri locality here.
The girl was rescued by some locals on Saturday and brought to Panta SSP Manu Maharaaj for help.An FIR for child labour and torture was lodged with the Shastri Nagar police station on the direction of the SSP. However, police are yet to arrest any of the accused. Shastri Nagar police station SHO S A Hashmi said the family has absconded from their residence.
The SSP said action would be taken against the accused once the investigation is complete. The girl told police she was working as a domestic help at the officer's local residence for the last two months. "She said the SDO's wife and their two children - a daughter aged 13 years and a boy aged 14 - used to regularly thrash her. They also used stick to beat her," said a police source about the victim's complaint.
"The girl also showed numerous injury marks on her body. She said the SDO's wife used to thrash her several times in a day. They even forced her to wake up after midnight and cook something for them," the source said. "The SDO too tortured her whenever he was in Patna," the source quoted her as having told the police.
SDO Ansari could not be contacted over phone despite repeated attempts as he didn't take the call.
Patna SSP Manu Maharaaj said the girl has been kept under police protection at the women's police station at Gandhi Maidan. "The girl was unable to tell her address but she knew the place was Sugauli in East Champaran. Her family was traced with the help of Motihari police, who would reach Patna by Sunday," he said.