Minor domestic help tortured, trader arrested

Thane: In a shocking case, a 11-year-old domestic help was badly beaten up, kept starving for days and forcefully fed chillies allegedly by a local trader and his wife.

Accused Sarjil Ansari (36) was booked along with his wife Farhat (32) on Sunday after the minor girl approached police with the help of her neighbours in the housing complex at Ghodbunder Road, where she worked for the couple, police said on Tuesday. According to Mira Road Police Station, the couple brought the victim from Uttar Pradesh for household work. The maid servant, whose body bore several old and fresh injury marks, was allegedly beaten frequently over petty issues and was made to starve for days together. The employers even forced her to eat chillies and rubbed her with it, if she would not obey their orders, the girl alleged in the complaint. Following this, Sarjil was arrested. However, his wife is still at large, police said. Both have been charged under sections 323, 324, 374 of the IPC. Police sources said that the girl, who was promised a job in Mumbai household was "sold" to the couple by her parents for Rs 15,000, a fact which is still being probed. The girl is presently in the custody of a NGO, which rescued her, police said.