Child rape
Representative photo. Image credit - Dhaka Tribune

A child labour, who was assaulted and molested by her employer in Kokrajhar town, has been rescued by a joint team recently.

The joint team included Labour officer of Kokrajhar, Childline, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) and Kokrajhar Police.

The 13-year-old girl child was rescued from the house of one Dhruba Narzary from Baganshali in Kokrajhar town.

The District Task Force conducted an inspection and rescued the child labour under the Child & Adolescent Labour (P&R) Act 1986 (as amended) from the house of Dhruba Narzary, son of BN Narzary.

An FIR, lodged against the employer of the child labour, has been registered by the Labour officer-cum-CHD Labour Welfare department of BTC, Kokrajhar, H Kalita at the Kokrajhar Police Station.

It may be mentioned that employment of child labour is a cognizable offence under Section 14 A of the Child & Adolescent Labour (P&R) Act 1986 (as amended).

The child hails from Karbi Anglong district and had been working as a child labour for the last 3-4 years.

According to information, the matter came to light after the child narrated her ordeal before some elder girls staying in the locality.

The child’s statement was also recorded in the mobile phone by the elder girls.

The girls then informed the Childline following which the District Task Force conducted an inspection at the house and was able to rescue the child.

As per the statement of the victim, she was compelled to do all the household works like cooking, sweeping, washing clothes and cleaning the utensils.

Besides, she was beaten and slapped by the house owner on several occasions and was also molested.

The Child Welfare Committee, Kokrajhar has taken the case of alleged sexual abuse by the employer and started its own investigation into the matter.

Rinoy Basumatary is Northeast Now Correspondent in Kokrajhar. He can be reached at: [email protected]