Nagpur Family Locks 12-Year-Old Girl For 4 Days, Burns Her With Cigarettes

Beaten, burnt with cigarettes, and locked in darkness for days - the horrific abuse of a minor girl working as domestic help for a family in Maharashtra's Nagpur has shocked neighbours.

According to the police, in Nagpur's Atharva Nagari Society, a family brought a girl, 12, from Bengaluru to do household work at their home. The girl was subjected to physical abuse by her employers, who burned her with a hot pan and cigarettes if she made mistakes. She was burnt with hot kitchen utensils, cigarettes, and had injuries to her private parts. She was also locked in the house for four days while her employers went to Bengaluru.

The girl's ordeal came to light when she was found by the neighbours. They heard her cries for help and saw her trying to break out of the house through a window. The neighbors brought her out of the house, gave her food and water, and then informed the police.

According to one neighbour, the minor girl's employers had not paid the electricity bill for the house, resulting in its disconnection. The girl had to spend her nights locked in darkness and surviving on just bread.

"One night we saw her trying to force her way out of the house through a window. We rescued her, fed her, and then informed the authorities for the necessary course of action," said one neighbour.

The girl's parents were reportedly told by the family that they would provide their daughter with education and care after bringing her to Nagpur.

Sheetal Patil, a social worker and part of Kailash Satyarthi Children's Foundation, said a medical examination of the traumatised girl was conducted in which several injuries and burn marks were found on her body, including her private parts. The girl is currently undergoing treatment before she begins her rehabilitation.

One person has been arrested in connection with the incident so far. A case has been filed against the family, and further investigation into the matter is ongoing, the police said.