Ghaziabad: Woman, her mother held for stepson’s torture

The incident came to light when the boy’s father, a resident of DLF Colony, approached the police on Thursday, sharing the alleged torture of his son by his second wife

Ghaziabad: A 30-year-old woman and also her mother were arrested on Friday for allegedly torturing the woman’s four-year-old stepson, making him sit on a hot pan, officers said Friday, adding that a first information report (FIR) has been registered following a complaint filed by the boy’s father.

Senior officials said that both the women were arrested, and an FIR was lodged against them for torturing the child. (Representational image)

The incident came to light when the boy’s father, Rajesh Kumar, a resident of DLF Colony, approached the police on Thursday, sharing the alleged torture of his son by his second wife, Kajal.

His first wife had divorced him about two years ago, and their son stayed with the man who remarried, officers said.

In his complaint, Kumar said that Kajal and her mother, Rekha Devi, 55, would harass his son daily when he stepped out of the house for work.

“They even beat up my son and would issue threats not to reveal incidents to anyone else or else they would get his father picked up by police. This is why my son would not tell about the harassment he faced. This morning, I noticed that both the hips of my son had burn marks, and he was in great pain. I am attaching the photographs, and my son wants justice against the torture,” the FIR cites Kumar as saying in the complaint.

Officers at the Shalimar Garden police station registered the FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita section 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and also levied section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The section deals with punishment for cruelty to children.

“In the initial investigation, it has come to light that the boy’s stepmother took him to her own mother’s house, where he picked up a ‘laddu’ (a sweet) to eat. This did not go well with his stepmother. Thereafter, she forced him to sit on a hot pan to teach him a lesson. Later, his father came to know about the child’s burn injuries,” said Brijesh Kumar, station house officer, Shalimar Garden police station.

Senior officials said that both the women were arrested, and an FIR was lodged against them for torturing the child.

“The boy had burn injuries on both hips, and we immediately filed an FIR. The FIR was filed by the boy’s father, and the child was also sent for medical examination and treatment. An investigation is on in the case,” said Saloni Agarwal, assistant commissioner of police, Shalimar Garden circle.