A woman pilot and her husband were thrashed by a mob in Delhi's Dwarka for allegedly employing a 10-year-old girl as a domestic help and torturing her.
According to the police, the accused have been identified as Kaushik Bagchi, 36, and his wife Poornima, 33. While Poornima is a pilot, Kaushik works as ground staff for another airline. They have been arrested and a case has been registered against them, said the police, adding the minor has been rescued and sent back to her parent’s home.
After the incident came to light, the couple was confronted by the victim's relatives who also manhandled them. The minor was employed at the couple's house through the victim's relative who also works in a nearby house, police added. Shocking visuals from spot showed a group of women grabbing the pilot by hair and beating her while she was still in uniform. When her husband, who is also an airline staff, attempted to rescue her, he too was beaten up. One man is heard screaming, "She will die." Poornima was heard apologising in the video while Kaushik was seen shielding her from the agitated mob saying that “she would die...Leave her..”. An elderly man intervened and then the crowd dispersed.
The couple hired a 10-year-old girl for domestic chores about two months back. The physical abuse came to light when a relative of the girl spotted injury marks on her arms and informed the police. Local says the girl was assaulted on the suspicion of theft.
As they saw the marks of injury on the girl's arms and under her eyes, a mob gathered outside the couple’s residence in Dwarka at around 9 am and attacked the couple before the police could arrive. Employing children as domestic help is prohibited in India, but this rule is repeatedly violated by many.
The relative who spotted the girl being beaten up claimed that on Wednesday morning, when she was passing by the street for her work, she saw Poornima beating the minor girl while she was working in the balcony. On spotting this, she along with others went to the couple's house but they did not come out and only after creating a ruckus, they opened the door and let the child come out, the relative alleged.
The child then narrated her ordeal to the relative and said she was asked to clean the balcony. According to the minor, while she was doing her work, the woman started scolding and thrashing her saying she was not cleaning the balcony properly, the victim's relative said. Police said the victim's parents belong to a village in Muzaffarpur district of Bihar and that the minor girl was allegedly beaten for not doing household work properly. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsha Vardhan said that around 9 am, information was received at Dwarka South police station regarding the mistreatment of a child who worked as a domestic help.
It was found that a 10-year-old girl has been working at the couple's house for the last two months. The minor was beaten up by the duo on Wednesday and her relative witnessed this. After the matter came to notice, a crowd gathered outside the couple's residence. They confronted the couple and also manhandled them, the DCP said.
The minor girl was medically examined and counselled by a counsellor, he added. According to police, the victim has injuries on her eyes and also has burn marks on her body. "We have registered a case under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 370 (buying or disposing of any person as a slave) of the Indian Penal Code, Child Labour Act and section 75 Juvenile Justice Act," the DCP said. No allegations of sexual harassment have been levelled by the victim, police said.
When asked if an action would be taken against those who manhandled the couple, the officer said that the action will be taken as per the complaint.
Amid social media uproar over the incident, the airline has derostered the woman pilot. Without specifically mentioning the case, the airline said it is aware of a video circulating on social media that allegedly involves an individual employed by the airline. "We are currently investigating the matter. Meanwhile, the employee has been derostered from official duties," the spokesperson said in a statement.
