Couple tortures girl, held

They allegedly forced 8-year-old minor to do housework

The Kurar police has nabbed a man and his wife for allegedly torturing an eight-year-old girl, who is the man’s niece, who was staying with them since her mother’s death. Prahlad Vishwakarma (39) and his wife Laxmidevi (35) would allegedly beat the girl, force her to do the household work and also punish her severely for not doing the work to their satisfaction.

When neighbours came to know about this, they informed the police who arrested Prahlad on Saturday and Laxmidevi on Saturday morning.

They were produced at the holiday court and remanded in judicial custody till February 10. The girl, meanwhile, was sent for a medical test, and her reports are yet to come. She has been sent to a children’s shelter.

According to police sources, the mother of the girl died two months ago, and since then the child had been staying in the Shivaji Nagar area of Kurar with her mother’s brother and his wife.

One day, the neighbours saw the girl standing outside the house and crying. When they enquired, the girl told them the couple had burnt her hands by dipping them in hot water. A few of the neighbours raised the issue with the couple who then started abusing them. Later, they informed the police about the alleged child abuse. Prahlad works as a carpenter while Laxmidevi is a housewife.

Limbanna Vhanamane, a senior police inspector of Kurar police station, said the girl is from Uttar Pradesh. After her mother’s death, Prahlad and Laxmidevi brought her to Shivaji Nagar.

The police has booked the couple under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.