Subjected to extreme torture: Domestic help tells magistrate

The Delhi Police today filed in a court here the statement of the girl, who was allegedly assaulted by her employer in a a Vasant Kunj house, recorded before a magistrate in which she has narrated the entire incident.

In her statement recorded under section 164 of the CrPC, the girl has alleged that she was subjected to extreme torture by her employer Vandana Dhir, who has been arrested in connection with the case.

According to police sources, the girl has told the magistrate that once she was allegedly forced to drink urine and was confined in the house in a semi-naked condition.

She has alleged that Dhir used to continuously beat her and she was not paid any money for her services as a maid in her house, the sources said.

They said the victim had told the magistrate that she was not allowed to use the washroom and the accused used to beat her.

She was not even given proper food by her employer, they said.

Sources also said that they have also recorded the girl's statement before an SDM in which she had claimed that she was made to work in the house for long duration.

She has told the magistrate that burn marks were caused on her body by Dhir as the accused allegedly used to burn her with a hot girdle. She has also said that no guests used to come to Dhir's house and she was forced to clean the area outside the house in a semi-naked condition.

The police filed the statement of the girl recorded by a Magistrate yesterday before the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha who today reserved the order for October 7 on the bail plea of key accused Dhir.

Police have arrested Dhir and Dorothy, the placement agent through which the victim was employed as a maid in Dhir's house, and both are presently in judicial custody.

During the hearing on Dhir's bail plea, the police said they have recorded the statement of the doctor, who had allegedly treated the victim before the incident came to light.

The police said the doctor had told them that when the girl was brought for treatment, Dhir had told him that the brother of the maid had assaulted her due to which she had sustained injuries.

It said there was contradiction in the statement of the doctor as the counsel for Dhir, in his arguments on the bail plea, had claimed that the girl had sustained injury on her head after she fell in the house.

Police opposed Dhir's bail plea, saying there probe into the case is going on and the accused may influence their investigation if released on bail.

Dhir's counsel sought bail, saying the probe in the case is almost over as statements of the girl and others have already been recorded.

"What for I am (Dhir) required now?....Why I am still not getting bail. Everything has been done and I am not required for any investigation," the defence counsel said, adding that there is no apprehension that Dhir would flee or tamper with the evidence.

During the hearing, the police also placed before the court report of the bone ossification test of the girl, which was conducted to ascertain her actual age.
The court, after going through the report, said that the doctors have opined that she is aged between 18 to 20 years.

The victim, a resident of Jharkhand, was rescued from Dhir's Vasant Kunj home where she had been working as a domestic help and was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital with severe injuries.

The victim was rescued by a joint team of NGO Shakti Vahini and police from Dhir's residence on the evening of September 30.

Dhir was arrested on October 1 after police filed a case under various sections of IPC and under the provisions of the Bonded Labour Act.