HYDERABAD: In a shocking case of physical and possibly sexual abuse, a 7-year-old girl was found to be brutalised by her adoptive family in Kacheguda on Monday. The child was found with bite marks on her lips and cigarette butt burns on her private parts. She was also in a morbidly malnourished state when the Childline executives found and rescued her on Monday.
The child, who speaks Hindi, was in a state of shock when police and Childline executives, based on a tip-off, walked into their home and rounded up her adoptive parents. According to a preliminary enquiry, the child had been illegally adopted four years ago by a 35-year-old couple who claimed they did so because they had no girl child.
The actual parents of the child are yet to be traced, and it appears they got her from a young couple who had separated and were not willing to take care of her. The accused couple, Asha Kaur and Mahipal Singh, have two other sons who are above 16.
Officials suspect that the family could have been using her as a domestic servant. “She is very small and malnourished for her age and possibly fed morsels of rice once a day. Her eyes were red due to an injury and her lips were severely swollen with what appears to be bite marks,” noted Madhavi D, in charge of Childline in Hyderabad.
The child was rushed to the hospital for first aid as her entire back was full of raw injuries. On her right shoulder, a healing burn mark is visible, indicating long-term abuse. She is slated to be kept under observation in the hospital for the coming week due to her acute malnourished state.
The Kacheguda police have now registered a case under Section 324 of IPC for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and means, and by Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act.
“We are presently focusing on the child’s welfare because she is in a state of shock and is famished. Once medical tests are done, we will see if sections of sexual abuse must be added or not in the complaint,” added Madhavi.
Activists are demanding that an attempt to murder case be immediately booked against the culprits considering the grievousness of the crime.