A video of a five-year-old girl tied up with a rope and left alone on the roof under the scorching sun went viral on Wednesday, prompting the Delhi police to register an FIR in the matter.
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DCP (North East) Sanjay Kumar Sain said the FIR has been registered against the girl’s mother under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act at the Khajuri Khas police station.
Based on preliminary investigation, the police said the incident took place on June 2. The mother tied the child’s hands and legs and left her on the terrace as a punishment for not doing homework.
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In the video, the girl is seen struggling to free her hands tied behind her back on the terrace of her house. “...All possible efforts were made by Delhi Police to ascertain her [girl’s] identity and circumstances. The family of the child has been identified and appropriate action initiated,” the Delhi police tweeted.
The girl’s father, Raj Kumar, 39, a tailor by profession, said his wife had left the child on the terrace only for some time and they were apologetic about the incident. He said the girl is naughty and often misbehaves with her mother. “Her mother was trying to teach her but she was running around and playing. Out of frustration, my wife tied her hands and legs and left her on the roof for a short while to punish her,“ Mr. Kumar said.
The couple has two children, a daughter and an 11-year-old son. Mr. Kumar said he had scolded his wife for what had happened. “I know this is wrong. We regret the entire incident, and my wife is apologetic too,” Mr. Kumar said, adding that his wife had not eaten in two days because of the incident.
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“We are not able to afford even basic life necessities but we are ensuring proper education for our children”
Asked why the mother was so strict about a five-year-old’s education, Mr. Kumar said, the family is undergoing a financial crisis. “We are not able to afford even basic life necessities but we are ensuring proper education for our children. When our daughter was not concentrating on her studies, my wife got upset and decided to punish her.”
Mr. Kumar said his wife is unwell and has been taking medicines but refused to talk about the illness. “We have brought shame to our family, colony and society. Almost everybody is talking about the incident. We might not be able to survive this humiliation,” Mr. Kumar told The Hindu. “An FIR has been filed by the police. I visited the police station and told my version. I am scared they might take an action against us.,” Mr. Kumar said. “I will ensure that our child is taken care of by both of us and my wife will deal with her with respect and patience,” he said.
Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal took suo moto cognisance of the video and issued a notice to the police, asking them to rescue the girl and investigate the matter. She called the incident a “serious matter,” and asked the police to provide the Commission with a copy of the FIR, a report if the girl has been produced before the Child Welfare Committee, and a detailed action-taken report.
The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights said the authorities concerned have been informed about the incident to take immediate action and the matter is currently being investigated.