BARBIL : Vice-president of district-level women’s wing of a political party Anita Jha and her husband Ramesh Chandra Jha of Station Road, Barbil have been arrested following allegations of torturing a minor girl. The 11-year-old girl has been sent to Open Shelter Home at Baniapat, Keonjhar as actual identity of her custodian could not be ascertained.
According to police, the girl belongs to Adityapur Railway colony in Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand was working as a domestic help in the house of the accused since August. On September 29, the couple had gone to market leaving the victim girl inside and locked the door from outside. However, the girl managed to escape through a ventilator and took shelter in a nearby hut.
After the incident the victim’s mother who stays at Adityapur(Jharkhand) came to Barbil police station and lodged an FIR. Subsequently the minor girl was produced at the police station by a resident of Dhobi Hutting, Barbil, where she had taken shelter and police initiated an enquiry in the matter. After medical examination and recording her statement, police arrested the couple. They were sent to judicial custody after being produced in court. The couple originally belongs to Harinagar of Darbhanga district in Bihar.