By IANS,
Kochi: An 11-year-old girl, working as a domestic help in the house of an advocate in a posh area in Kochi, was rescued by locals after she complained of exploitation, police said Wednesday.
The advocate, son of a retired judge of the Kerala High Court, is himself a practising advocate in the high court.
Radha, who belongs to Tamil Nadu and has been working for the past three years with the advocate’s family, told a local television channel that she was treated badly by her employer.
“I used to get up at 6 a.m. and work till 10 p.m. They never allowed me to speak to my parents. When they used to call me, my employers used to tell them that I was fine and they didn’t have to call,” she said.
Radha was taken by her employers to their relative’s house in Aluva, about 15 km from Kochi, Aluva police station sub-inspector Anoop C. Nair told IANS.
She managed to escape from there and ran to a nearby house and pleaded for help, he added.
The neighbours immediately alerted the Aluva police who took the girl to the police station and her statement was recorded.
The police handed her over to a children’s home. They registered a non-bailable case against the advocate and his wife under the Child Labour Act, Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code.
The couple was, however, on the run, the police said.