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6-year-old girl made to mop floor in Andhra; DGP orders probe
The girl is seen struggling to clean the floor in the video clip as two policemen on duty are heard directing her to do the job. Her father, who was engaged in some other work, is understood to have entrusted her with the mopping duty.
Andhra Pradesh’s director general of police (DGP), Gautam Sawang, ordered an inquiry on Monday after a six-year-old girl was made to mop the floor of a classroom in a government college in Nellore district.
A short video and photographs of the girl, the daughter of the watchman of the government junior college at Atmakur, mopping the floor went viral on social media in the state.
The girl is seen struggling to clean the floor in the video clip as two policemen on duty are heard directing her to do the job. Her father, who was engaged in some other work, is understood to have entrusted her with the mopping duty.
Sawang, who watched the visuals on local television channels, called up Nellore’s district superintendent of police, Bhaskar Bhushan, and asked him to inquire into the matter and take action against the head constable.
“I was shocked looking at the visuals. It is an offence on part of the girl’s father to make her do his job. Even though he is the father of the girl, he is liable for punishment under section 14 of the Child Labour Prohibition Act,” a statement from his office said.
It said the father of the girl would get a minimum of three months and a maximum of one-year imprisonment and between ₹10,000 and ₹20,000 cash fine under the act.
“Departmental action will be taken on the head constable for playing a spectator and not preventing the girl from working,” the official release from the DGP’s office said, adding that action would also be taken against college management after the inquiry.
The constable’s behaviour drew criticism from child rights activists and citizens. Andhra Pradesh Balala Hakkula Sangham president P Achyuta Rao demanded criminal proceedings against the constable.
