Police are searching for a 14-year-old boy who went missing in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district nearly 10 days ago, after he was tortured by the owner of the factory where he worked over suspicion of stealing a mobile phone, police officers aware of the matter said on Saturday, adding that five people have been arrested in this connection.
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The boy, a resident of Islampur in Uttar Dinajpur district, was working at the jeans dyeing factory, where he came with his elder brother more than a month ago. Based on the brother’s complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered on June 3. Four people were named in the FIR along with other unidentified people, they added.
Earlier this week, a video surfaced on social media in which the factory owner, Shahenshah (goes by single name), can be purportedly seen brutally torturing the boy, police said. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
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{{/usCountry}}“We are still searching for the missing boy. Five people have been arrested, and among the prime accused, Shahenshah, was caught in Mumbai and is being brought to Kolkata,” said a senior officer of Diamond Harbour police district in South 24 Parganas.
“In the video, the boy could be seen hung upside down with his hands tied, and Shahenshah was torturing him with electric shock,” an officer of the Rabindra Nagar police station said on condition of anonymity.
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“Shahenshah told police that he tortured the boy around May 28 and later, the boy managed to flee. There are some discrepancies in the statements given by him and the other accused,” the officer added.
Meanwhile, his neighbours from Islampur alleged that Shahenshah framed the minor of stealing to avoid paying him salary.
Talking to the local media, the boy’s mother said, “I want my son back. I want justice. My son went there and this is how they treated him? I want strict punishment for the culprits.”
A neighbour of the victim has told the media earlier, “The boy had gone there to work. After a month, when the family contacted the factory owner to send money, he started to dilly dally. I think the boy was accused of stealing the mobile as the owner didn’t want to pay the salary.”
Police said that were scanning CCTVs installed in the area. Nearby police stations, the state’s CID and hospitals have been alerted, police said.