ERODE, July 17: A nine-year-old girl, working as a maid-servant in a house in Veerappanchatram police station limits for the past four years and subjected to inhuman torture by her employers, has been rescued and hospitalised for treatment of deep wounds and burn injuries. Three persons have been arrested on charges of confining and torturing the child, Bhuvaneshwari. Hospital sources said the child had deep wounds on her hands and stomach, the nails on a couple of fingers had been removed and there were pin-prick marks on all 10 fingers. She had burn injuries, inflicted by hot iron rods and spoons, all over her body and on her cheek. The child was rescued by a team led by ward councillor Dharmaraj, after neighbours heard her feeble calls for help from a locked house. The child said she had been left in the empty house without food for four days. Her employer, Gnanamurthy, his wife and son were beaten up by neighbours when they returned home, and handed over to the police. Gnanamurthy had also allegedly tortured his daughter-in-law, who had, however, managed to escape.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.