Minor domestic help rescued with burn injuries in Bhubaneswar, employer detained

A 12-year-old domestic help was rescued in Bhubaneswar’s Sailashree Vihar with burn and assault injuries; employer detained as police probe alleged abuse.

Published on: Mar 29, 2026, 20:39:36 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty, Bhubaneswar

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

A 12-year-old domestic help was rescued with multiple burn and assault injuries from a house in Sailashree Vihar in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar on Sunday morning, following which the homeowner was detained, police said.

Minor domestic worker rescued with burn marks in Odisha’s Bhubaneswar (Representative photo)

The minor girl, who allegedly endured prolonged physical and mental abuse, is currently undergoing treatment at Capital Hospital and is reported to be stable but under close medical observation.

Based on a complaint filed by child protection workers, Chandrasekharpur police registered a case and detained the employer, Umesh Chandra Samal, for questioning. Police said further investigation is underway and evidence is being collected.

According to police officers, a local resident alerted the police and the child helpline number after finding the girl wandering the streets in tears and distress on Sunday morning.

Workers from the NGO Ruchika Social Service Organisation (Childline) rescued the girl and admitted her to Capital Hospital. Officials said a medical examination revealed multiple beating marks and deep burn injuries on various parts of her body, adding that she might have been repeatedly branded with a heated object as punishment for minor mistakes during household work.

Childline director Benudhar Senapati said the girl is from Keonjhar district and had worked as a domestic help in the house for one-and-a-half years.

She was allegedly paid around ₹2,000 per month. “She alleged that despite completing all assigned household chores, she was frequently beaten on minor pretexts and subjected to severe torture. She also stated that she was branded with a hot iron rod multiple times,” Senapati said.

Unable to endure the alleged abuse any longer, the girl reportedly fled the house on Sunday morning.

The minor has been placed under the care of the Child Welfare Committee. Police said they are examining the circumstances under which the minor was employed and whether any violations of child labour and juvenile protection laws occurred.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Follow India news real-time updates and the latest news covered on Hindustan Times, featuring today's critical updates on Sonam Wangchuk LIVE and more across India.