New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) : A city court Monday warned that employing  domestic helps below the age of 18 may invite penal action for the employers, the placement agency and even the parents of minors who send them to work.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Kamini Lau made the observations while hearing an anticipatory bail plea of K.D. Singh and his wife Harshit Bedi, both retired government employees,  accused of engaging a minor as domestic help and ill-treating her.   

The court upheld the bail plea of the couple after their counsel Amit Kumar said that they had hired the girl through a placement agency which claimed her age was 18 years.    

Taking a serious view of the records indicating the age of the girl as 15 years, the court questioned the investigating officer whether she has taken action against S.K. Placement Agency.   

The police officer assured the court that the departments concerned would be informed so that appropriate action, including cancellation of licence, could be taken against the agency.   

A case was registered against the couple following a police complaint filed May 12.    

The court granted the couple bail on a personal bond of Rs.20,000 each with the condition that they appear before the investigating officer June 17.