A three-year-old boy allegedly tortured by a couple who had illegally adopted him was rescued by the Child Welfare Committee with the help of the Vidyaranyapura police on Tuesday. When the authorities rescued him on the basis of a tip-off from neighbours, they found the child had multiple burn injuries on his back and hands.
He is currently being treated at Victoria Hospital. The police have booked Rahman, who had allegedly bought him from a ragpicker three years ago, and his wife for attempt to murder and other sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Rahman has three children, including a one-year-old daughter. According to the police, his wife did not like the boy, and would torture him and deny food. Neighbours told the police that they would see the boy crying all day as soon as Rahman, a construction labourer, left the house for work.
On Tuesday, neighbours saw that the boy had been branded with an iron spatula and alerted the Child Welfare Committee.
A team of officials, along with the police, visited the house and rescued him. Initially, the police thought that the woman was torturing her own son, but a detailed inquiry revealed that the Rahman had purchased the boy from a ragpicket three years ago.
The police said that though Rahman and his wife have been booked, the latter was not arrested on humanitarian grounds as she has three minor children. “However, we are planning to arrest her once Rahman gets out on bail,” a senior police officer said.
“The injured boy had about 20% burn injuries. He will be admitted to the government home for boys under the care of CWC. Efforts are on to track down his mother,” said P.N. Basavaraj, child rights activist.
