RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM: A 9-year-old girl was allegedly tortured by her stepmother at Jangareddygudem in West Godavari. Though the girl was being tortured for the past few months, it came to light on Saturday when she fell unconscious in school.
Jangareddygudem Sub-Inspector Sagar Babu told TNIE that Naga Venkata Lakshmi is studying class II in a government school at Balaji Nagar. Her mother Durga, who hails from Tadepalligudem, went to Kuwait for work. Her father Dharma Raju married Y Durga. It was alleged that he started neglecting the girl after the second marriage.
Unable to tolerate the presence of Lakshmi in the house, Durga, mother of two sons, was allegedly forcing the girl to do all household chores. She used to beat the girl with a stick and pour hot water on her body. When the girl fell unconscious, the school authorities shifted her to hospital. After observing injuries on the girl’s body, they informed the matter to the police.
“During enquiry, neighbours told us that the girl was being tortured by her stepmother,” the police said.
Durga was arrested under Section 324 of the IPC and the Juvenile Justice Act.