Guwahati home horror: Bed-box rescue saves child from alleged abuse in Panjabari
Officials found the child traumatised in an airless bed box; she is now receiving medical & psychological care
A still showing the child discovered by rescue officials inside the bed box. (AT Photo)
Guwahati, Feb 3: A minor girl was rescued from illegal confinement at a house in the Juripar area of Panjabari recently, after authorities discovered her hidden inside the storage compartment of a bed box.
The rescue operation was carried out by the Dispur Police in coordination with child welfare officials, following repeated complaints from neighbours.
The neighbours alleged that a young girl was being subjected to physical abuse and confinement at the residence of an engineer identified as Arina Laskar Khatoon.
According to officials, the team faced resistance when they first reached the house.
Khatoon reportedly denied the allegations and claimed that the child was no longer living with her and had been sent back to her father some time earlier.
Despite the denial, the authorities proceeded to search the premises.
Initial searches of the house yielded no sign of the child. However, suspicion arose when officials entered a bedroom and found the accused’s son lying atop a large bed box.
The boy allegedly refused to move, with Khatoon insisting there was no need to inspect the furniture.
The officials persisted, and after the bed was cleared, they lifted the mattress and opened the storage compartment, where they found the minor girl concealed inside.
Officials said the child was huddled in the cramped, airless space and appeared visibly traumatised. A member of the rescue team said the girl was in a state of extreme shock and was immediately given water and reassured.
Once calm, she told officials that she had been working in the house since the age of six.
Now around ten years old, the girl reportedly told investigators that she had spent several years working as a domestic help in the household and had been subjected to physical torture, corroborating the concerns raised by neighbours.
Following the rescue, the Dispur Police registered a case and launched a detailed investigation. The case has been filed under Section 138 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), along with relevant provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.
The child has since been shifted to a government-run facility, where she is undergoing medical examination and psychological counselling.
Police said interrogation of Arina Laskar Khatoon is continuing to ascertain the full scope of the alleged abuse and exploitation.