The neighbourhood at Shatabdi Nagar in Dharavi is abuzz with tales about seven-year-old Menaka Thakur, the child who was tortured for two months and who they got admitted to Sion hospital on Tuesday night.
Shobha Phadke, a neighbour of the Thakurs and the wife of Bhusan Phadke, who is the
complainant in the case, told Hindustan Times, “We found out that Aarti had been torturing Menaka for the past two months. She treated the seven-year-old like a housemaid and made her do all the work.”
Phadke said, “What is shocking is that she has two daughters herself, one of whom is around Menaka’s age. How could she do this to a child?”
Najma Khan, a social worker, who resides in the area, and had rushed the victim to Sion hospital was outraged. She told HT, “Just take one look at the girl. She would have surely died if she did not escape on Wednesday.”
Khan said, “When we were at the police station I said I would slap her daughter so that she realised what she had done. But Aarti started crying, telling me not to hurt her daughters. I asked her ‘ you don’t want your daughters to be touched and here you were scarring a seven-year-old for life just for the past two months just because she is not your daughter’.” Khan alleged, “Aarti’s husband was aware about what was happening at home. In fact, we suspect he, too, beat up his daughter.”
Sumit Thakur, Menaka’s father, refused to speak to HT, however a relative who refused to be identified, said, “Once the child recuperates, she should be sent to some care-centre where she will be looked after properly. She should not be sent back to the family.”
Senior inspector of Dharavi police Ashok Survegandh confirmed that the child would not be handed over to her father after she recuperates. “We will take the parents’ consent and as per procedure send her to a care centre where she will be taken care of.”