Girl 'tortured with hot iron rod' for eating dog's food

Kailashahar, Tripura : A 12-year-old maid was allegedly hit repeatedly with a hot iron rod by a hotel owner's family for eating salty tidbits meant for their pet dog, in a horrifying instance of how Indians continue to treat underage domestic helps.

Ria Malakar, a rickshaw puller's daughter battling for life in the Kailashahar district hospital, said from her hospital bed: "I was starving. They had not given me any food for two days, so I ate the ‘namkin' kept for the pet."

The incident took place last week in the North Tripura district town of Kailashahar, 150km north of state capital Agartala. Police say the suspects are on the run. "Dadu [the hotel owner] and Thamma [his wife] struck me with a hot iron rod on my entire body. They also beat me up ruthlessly with a spiked stick. I ate namkin that was kept for the dog," the girl said. The victim was yesterday interviewed by a three-member team of the State Women's Commission, which has offered to take over her custody for treatment and support, including education.

"It was gruesome," said commission chairperson Tapati Chakraborty, referring to the girl's torture.

As witnessed by IANS, the child's entire body, including the lower parts, was covered with burn marks and doctors say Ria may never be able to conceive due to the torture.

Ria's employer, Subhash Ghosh, along with his wife and two daughters allegedly tortured her in their home till she fainted. North Tripura district police chief Deepak Kumar said that the Ghosh family is missing and suspected to be hiding in neighbouring Assam.