A minor domestic help who was allegedly being sexually abused by her employer, said to be a doctor, was rescued from his residence in Punjabi Bagh here over the weekend. Though the police have registered a case, they are yet to make any arrest.
The 16-year-old victim was allegedly trafficked into the Capital from Assam in March 2009 and sold off to a placement agency. She had been working as a domestic help in the house of the accused for the past three years.
Acting on a tip-off that the girl was being victimised, non-government Shakti Vahni and the local police rescued her. During counselling, the victim disclosed that she was brought to the city by one Benoy on the pretext of getting her a job for a year, after which she could go back home to her parents. In the past three-four years, she was not allowed to visit her home town.
“She was not allowed to visit her family even when her father was seriously ill. He later passed away. The girl said she could identify Benoy, but had not seen him for the past two years. She disclosed that he had brought several other girls to Delhi,” said an NGO spokesperson.
The victim told the Child Welfare Committee that her employer had raped her on at least four occasions in the past one year. She was also administered some pills, suspected to be contraceptives, by the employer and his wife. The girl did not reveal about the incident to anyone, fearing no one would believe her and that she would lose her job instead.
Confirming that a case had been registered under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code, the Child Labour Act and the Juvenile Justice Act, a senior police officer said the accused runs a pathological lab.
The victim was working on a salary of Rs.2,000 per month. “She said only Rs.6,000 has been paid to her mother so far this year. The employers would tell her that they had deposited the money in the bank,” said the NGO, adding the girl has been sent to a shelter home.
