Police said the accused is an additional tehsildar working in Ganjam district. (File)
A 12-year-old boy was allegedly tortured by his foster parents in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.
The accused used to beat the minor with broom and iron rod at their Digapahandi residence in Ganjam district.
Police said the accused is an additional tehsildar working in Ganjam district. Unable to bear the torture, the boy escaped from his foster parent's house two weeks ago and the matter came to fore after Ganjam District Child Welfare Committee (CWC) contacted their counterpart in Jajpur and sent him back on Friday.
As per reports, the couple was childless. They had requested the Jajpur district administration for adoption of a boy who was living in Jajpur Balashram after losing his parents last year.
The couple took the boy to their Digapahandi residence as their adopted son after completing all legal procedures on March 22, 2021.
However, as per the boy's claims, he was never treated like a son by his foster parents. Rather, the accused couple used to treat him like a labourer. They used to thrash him with broom and iron rod. As the assault got more unbearable, he fled from their house, the police said quoting the boy.
The boy narrated his ordeal to traffic police in Ganjam. With the help of the traffic police, the boy reached the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) in Ganjam district and narrated how his foster parents treated him like domestic help and would often beat him.
After hearing the boy's ordeal, the CWC officials sent him back to Jajpur district.
Although the minor boy has been missing from his foster parents' house, no complaint has been filed with the local police by the latter in connection with the incident.
Contacted, Jajpur CWC legal officer Tapan Kumar Panda said they have sought a report from their counterparts in Ganjam.
"We are waiting for the report and necessary action will be taken against the accused after our counterpart submits a report. We are unable to take action over the allegation of child torture as the accused could not be contacted or traced," he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)