Guwahati, May 7 (IANS) A doctor couple has been arrested by police in Guwahati on the charges of abusing a 4-year-old girl child who was allegedly adopted by them, officials said on Sunday.
Sangeeta Baruah, a psychiatrist, was arrested by the police on Saturday night from a house in Meghalaya’s Ri Bhoi district where she was supposedly hiding to avert an arrest. Her husband, Walliul Islam, a gastrointestinal and advanced general surgeon, was caught by the police earlier from their residence located at the Manipuri Basti area in the city.
Police have also arrested their domestic help Lakshmi for allegedly being involved in the minor abuse case.
The incident came to light when a neighbour of the doctor couple approached the police on Friday with a photo of the minor girl tied to a pole on the terrace amid the scorching heat.
A child right activist Miguel Das Queah said that there were earlier complaints too about the doctor couple abusing their adopted daughter, however, there was no proof until the neighbour got the pictures of the minor tied to the pole on the terrace.
A police officer said as per initial interrogation, Baruah had beaten the minor with a hot iron rod and even poured hot water on her body.
According to police, the domestic help confessed during the interrogation that she was asked to tie the minor on the terrace as a punishment because the child was ‘disobedient’ and ‘naughty’.
The police have been interrogating the matter.
Meanwhile, several sections including attempt to murder (307), voluntarily causing grievous hurt (325), wrongful restraint, etc were slapped on the doctor couple.
–IANS
tdr/uk/
