A six-year-old child tortured by a couple is undergoing treatment in the district headquarter hospital here after he was rescued by the district child protection unit from the house in Soro following a complaint of mental and physical torture including hot iron branding.
The maternal grandfather of the victim had lodged a police complaint in this regard. The police, however, said that the couple, in their mid-forties, had fled the house fearing arrest.
“On the complaint of the grandfather and the DCPU a case has been registered under several sections against the accused couple including an attempt to murder.
The child was tortured both mentally and physically even he was subjected to hot ion branding, alleged by the grandfather.
The victim is undergoing treatment and his statement has been recorded,” said IIC Soro, Dilip Sahu adding that the couple are at large. The accused couple were identified as Sridhar Mahalik and his wife Pauni Mahalik, resident of village Mugunipur under Dandaharipur GP of Soro block.
According to DCPU sources, the minor victim, after his father’s death, was with his maternal grandfather house at Talapada, under Khantapara PS as her mother left her in the housing facing difficulties to maintain two other children.
The grandfather while facing difficulties to up bring and maintain both the ends, the accused couple approached the former to handover the child as they did not have a son. “There are marks on the body of the victim showing that he was tortured physically.
The child handing over was not also made in proper legal procedure. The DCPU would take appropriate action,” said Muktiksnta Panda, the lregal and probation officer DCPU.