On Saturday afternoon, after receiving complaints from neighbours that a woman had branded her five-year-old son, the Gangammanagudi police accompanied a team from the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission to the woman’s house at Kashimpura here.
The police said the woman, identified as Manjushree (35), was a single parent and had moved in to a rented house around four years ago with her two children – a five-year-old boy and three-year-old girl – after her husband left her.
Her neighbours noted that Manjushree would lock up the children inside the house before heading out to work every day. She would return home late.
The KSHRC team noticed burn injuries on her son’s chin and palm. When questioned, Manjushree said that she was “trying to discipline her naughty son.” The team, after offering to help her get placement, warned her against punishing her young children.
The police have now been asked to monitor her regularly and ensure that the children are enrolled in an day care centre.
