Una (HP), April 6 A six-year-old migrant girl was allegedly tied to the stairs with ropes as punishment for picking guava from a former serviceman's garden in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh, officials said on Monday.
Videos purportedly showing the alleged torture, shot by passersby, spread widely in and around the Bahdla village, where the incident occurred on Sunday, sparked outrage and brought it to the attention of the administration.
The victim has been rescued and has undergone a medical check-up.
The former serviceman, who is accused of hitting the girl while she was tied to the stairs of his house, has been called in for questioning by the police and the Child Welfare Committee on Monday. Another video surfaced in which he is apologizing for his actions.
The administration took action after a video of the incident went viral on social media, following which a case was registered, police said.
The incident came to light when Rohit Jaswal, a Merchant Navy captain, was passing by and saw the girl tied to a staircase inside a house and immediately rushed to intervene.
Jaswal asked the former serviceman to release the girl, but he remained adamant and refused. Later, some youths recorded the girl tied up in his house.
A purported video shows a man justifying tying up the girl, saying she was being punished for "stealing" guava. Amidst cries, the girl is seen pleading with the passerby shooting the video, "uncle, save me".
The video surfaced on Sunday, triggering massive public outrage. Jaswal rescued the girl from the clutches of the accused and safely escorted her back to her home. He also alerted the police and Child Helpline immediately.
When a Child Helpline team arrived, the former serviceman immediately apologized for his actions. The victim was then sent for a medical examination at the Regional Hospital in Una.
The matter is being treated with utmost seriousness, and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Jatin Lal and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sachin Hiremath have issued directives for swift action, police said.
A case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act has been registered, and a thorough investigation into the matter is underway, and strict action will be taken against the guilty, the SP said.
The accused ex-serviceman is heard seeking apology in another video that surfaced on Monday. In the video, he is purportedly seen admitting to tying up the girl and saying that he was not thinking clearly. He said he will not repeat such actions again.
