Couple held for torture, abuse of 14-year-old help

Police identified the couple as Manish Khattar and his wife Kamaljeet Kaur, and said that after their pictures and that of the victim were widely shared on social media, both were fired by their employers

A Gurugram-based couple has been arrested for allegedly assaulting, torturing and sexually harassing their 14-year-old domestic help, police said on Wednesday, adding that the girl was rescued after being allegedly confined to the house for five months.

The victim told the rescue team that the couple used to beat her every day. (HT ARCHIVE)

While the husband was arrested on Tuesday, the woman was nabbed on Wednesday from New Colony area in the city, police said.

Police identified the couple as Manish Khattar and his wife Kamaljeet Kaur, and said that after their pictures and that of the victim were widely shared on social media, both were fired by their employers.

Preet Pal Sangwan, assistant commissioner of police (crime), said a team from a stop crisis centre (Sakhi) — centre that supports women and children affected by violence — and the police on Tuesday rescued the girl. Originally from Jharkhand’s Ranchi, the girl was hired by the couple through a placement agency in Delhi five months ago to take care of their three-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

“The girl was being tortured and sexually harassed by the couple for several months. The couple did not provide her proper food and assaulted her even for minor mistakes. There were several injuries on her hands, feet and face. She told police that she survived on leftover scraps,” he said.

Sangwan said the girl was so traumatised that she speaking with difficulty. “After being rescued, she was admitted to a hospital and her condition is stable,” he said.

Pinki Malik, in-charge of Sakhi, said she received a call from a man who informed her that a minor girl was kept confined by a couple for domestic work at their home in New Colony area, and needs to be rescued. “The caller said the couple used to beat her and also scorched her with hot tongs. They did not even let her sleep at night. I alerted the police immediately and she was rescued,” Malik said.

The victim told the rescue team that the couple used to beat her every day. “Kaur used to hit her with hot tongs and did not allow her to eat fresh food. She was forced to work all day without rest. Kaur’s husband disrobed her and inflicted injuries to her private parts. They had confined her in the house and did not allow her to talk to her family over the phone and often threatened her to kill her if she protested,” said Sangwan.

A case was registered against the couple under sections 323 (causing hurt), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and under relevant sections 75 and 79 of JJ act and Section 12 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act at New Colony police station on Tuesday.

Udit Sagar Pathak, the founder of PR firm Media Mantra, where Kaur worked, tweeted on Wednesday, “We are shocked to learn about the human rights and child abuse allegations against Kamaljeet Kaur. As an organization, we respect the Indian legal system and are strictly against any form of human rights abuse. The company has terminated her services with immediate effect.”

Khattar who works with a life insurance company was also sacked on Wednesday. Max Life Insurance tweeted, “Max Life believes in upholding high level of ethical and moral conduct at all times. We have severed the employment of the individual with immediate effect.”

Police said Khattar was sent to two days’ police custody, while Kaur was remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) on Wednesday took suo motu cognisance of the case, news agency ANI reported.

“The commission has taken suo-moto cognizance of a tweet wherein it has been mentioned that a caretaker girl was brutally beaten by employers at a house in New Colony, Gurugram. Visible injuries mark are on the body of the victim,” NCPCR chief Priyank Kannongo said in a letter to the Gurugram deputy comissioner, seeking his urgent intervention.