Minor domestic help tortured, detained by employers in Dijkot

Victim was beaten with iron rod for ‘not working properly’

DIJKOT:

A man along with his wife allegedly tortured and detained their domestic help, a minor boy, in their home in Dijkot on Wednesday.

The couple beat the boy with an iron rod and plastic pipes for not doing the domestic work properly, The Express Tribune has learnt. After the boy was left alone, he managed to escape from the room he was locked up in.

Rescue 1122 personnel shifted him to a Civil Hospital after on the spot medical aid. As per the details, the minor domestic help identified as 11-year-old Safdar, the son of Muhammad Nawaz and a resident of Chiniot, was employed at Sheikh Kashif's house in 208 Road Eden Executive Villas Model City for domestic work.

On the day of the incident, the suspects Sheikh Kashif and his wife Kiran physically assaulted their domestic help using an iron rod, plastic pipes and electric wires for not doing the job properly. The minor boy sustained serious injuries.

After injuring him, the couple locked Safdar in a room. Later, the victim jumped off the wall of the house when he got a chance and ran away. Seeing the injured boy, passersby informed Rescue 1122.

The emergency service team reached the spot and shifted Safdar to Civil Hospital after providing on the spot medical aid.

A team from Child Protection Welfare Bureau (CPWB) also reached the spot and took the minor boy in their custody.

On the statement of CPWB officer Ulfat, a case was registered against the suspected couple under various provisions in Madina Town police station

Police arrested Kashif on the charge of assaulting the minor. The CPWB officer stated that Kashif, a businessman, had hired Safdar on a monthly salary of Rs6,000 for 16 months to do domestic work at his home.

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CPWB Chairperson Sara Ahmed said that a team from the welfare bureau in Faisalabad took the child into their custody.

“The team got the minor boy medically examined and also got a case registered against the couple. Safdar was employed in Kashif's house who tortured him and blamed his father for the injuries.”

This is not the only incident of a minor domestic worker being tortured by their employers in the province.

On January 26, a teenage housemaid was allegedly tortured and kicked out of the house for breaking a pot in Dijkot. The girl was taken into police custody and handed over to the Child Protection and Welfare Bureau (CPWB).

The 13-year-old daughter of Kaniz Bibi and a resident of Chak No 245, was employed at the Nazim Usman Manj’s house at Maqbool Road, Ghousia Chowk for Rs5,000 per month.

The pot was accidently broken by the maid on which the man and his wife repeatedly beat the girl with sticks and injured her.

Her hands, wrists, face and legs became badly inflamed and she was kicked out of the house. The owner of a petrol pump informed the police after seeing the victim crying near Jhang Road, Sudhar bypass.

Thikriwala police took the girl into their custody, enquired about the incident and later handed her over to Batala Colony police.

The mother of the girl was reportedly called to the police station by the Naib Moharar of Batala Colony Police and allegedly pressurised as well as offered some money by the influential suspects in exchange for dropping charges against the couple.

However, CPWB reached the spot, took the girl into her custody and got her medical treatment conducted, which confirmed the torture inflicted on the girl.