After being allegedly locked up for months in a house, every inch of which was covered in rubbish, a 17-year-old girl in Pandav Nagar was rescued by neighbours and the police on Saturday night.
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She was kept in confinement allegedly by her mother Krishna Ghosh and elder sister, who live in another house in the same area. However, the teenager is learnt to have told the police that she was depressed and stayed indoors of her own free will.
She has been sent to a hospital for treatment and is being counselled by members of the Child Welfare Committee. Her father Dhananjay Ghosh, who was on a Delhi-bound train from Kolkata on Sunday afternoon, accused his former wife of denying him access to their daughters.
Mr. Ghosh said: “I wasn’t allowed to meet my daughters after the divorce. I had written to their school as well. Their mother never allowed me to enter the house. She only asked for money.”
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The teenager’s condition was described as “dirty but not emaciated” by property dealer Sushil Sarkar, who informed the police.
He alleged that Ms. Ghosh visited her twice a day with meals and that it was during her evening visit on Saturday that she found the police and neighbours waiting for her.
The girl’s mother reportedly tried to bribe the police against opening the door. However, the police broke open the door, only to discover the shocking state the girl was living in.
The room was full of plastic bags, full and empty processed food packets, a clock, a broken ceiling fan, a non-functional fridge and dim lighting.
“The house was stinking and full of garbage when we entered. The girl had been sleeping on top of the trash. It was a pitiful scene. It appeared as though her hair hadn’t been washed in months,” said Mr. Sarkar.