HYDERABAD: A woman employer allegedly tortured,gave electric shocks and tonsured a Dalit minor girl accusing her of stealing Rs. 15,000 at Kushaiguda.

The incident came to light when Santoshi, 13, along with her parents - V. Narayana and Adilakshmi - approached the police on Wednesday.

The couple from Prakasam district came to the city three years ago in search of livelihood and were living in a hut at Saipuri Colony.

Adilakshmi had been working as a maid in the house of R. Lalita Devi, a realtor, for the last three months. Her husband Srinivasa Rao is a chief parcel clerk in the Railways. At her mother's instance, Santoshi was working in Devi's house for the last fortnight.

Harrowing time

The girl went to work as usual on Tuesday morning. Devi allegedly called her into a room accusing her of stealing cash. When she feigned ignorance, Devi and three of her workers allegedly confined her in a room and began beating her.

"They tortured me from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., forcing me to admit the offence which I never committed," the girl said. As she refused to own up the crime, they allegedly gave electric shocks to her. Later, they brought Narayana to the house and allegedly threatened him to return the money.

They gave a razor to him and allegedly forced him to shave the girl's head and eyebrows. "No person on this earth should suffer such humiliation. All the while my daughter has been crying that she did not steal the money," said Narayana. Then, they allegedly took a written undertaking from him that he would pay back the amount his daughter had allegedly stolen.

Parents threatened

According to Kushaiguda Sub-Inspector Srinivasa Reddy, the realtor and her workers allegedly even threatened to kill the girl and her parents if they complained to the police.

A case under the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Act and Sections 324, 355 and 385 of IPC.

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