Three minor domestic helps rescued from Delhi’s Model Town

The victims, aged between 14 and 17 years, hail from Assam and Jharkhand and were hired through a placement agency.

Three girls, allegedly being held as captive domestic helps in north west Delhi’s Model Town, were rescued by the police on Tuesday.

The victims, aged between 14 and 17 years, hail from Assam and Jharkhand and were hired through a placement agency. (Hindustan Times (representative photo))

In their statements before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) recorded on Wednesday, the girls said that they were made to serve the employer’s family under gruelling conditions and without adequate food or rest.

In their statements, the copies of which have been accessed by HT, the girls have claimed that they were subjected to verbal abuse and not paid salaries.

The victims, aged between 14 and 17 years, hail from Assam and Jharkhand and were hired through a placement agency.

On Tuesday, a joint team led by the area sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and comprising of the police and NGO members conducted a raid in a house in Model Town K Block. The three victims alleged they were kept confined in the house.

The complaint was made by the SDM who was informed by an NGO. It is not clear how the trio, who claimed that they were not allowed to go outside, managed to contact the NGO.

One of the victims said they were responsible for the upkeep of the house, which had multiple rooms. They also had to take care of children. The girl had been working there for the past four years. She said they had to do all the chores — from domestic chores to car washing. Some days, if the other two were asked to do something else or were unwell, she had to do everything alone.

The second girl said her day started at 6am and was spent doing laundry and cleaning multiple toilets. She said that the three girls would help each other in their work so that they could take out time for an odd meal.

The girls alleged that they never received any salary and no money was transferred to their parents back home.

According to the police, a case has been registered. But, they did not disclose the name of the employer or the placement agency. The girls’ statement does not mention the name either.

“We have registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act, Child Labour Act and Bonded Labour Act. No one has been named in the case. We are waiting for CWC to send the statements to us after which further action can be taken,” said deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Milind Dumbere.