Mangalore: 13-year-old Jumps From Building in Bid to Escape Forced Slavery
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (RS/SB)
Mangalore, Aug 12: In an incident depicting growing abuse of domestic servants and minors in the recent times in an urbane set up, a girl employed reportedly as a child labourer was admitted at neo-natal intensive care unit (NICU) of a private hospital here on Wednesday August 26 night. She was admitted here after being seriously injured trying to escape from the unwilling slavery jumping from the fourth floor of an apartment at Attavar.
Abdul Salam with police officer
The girl has been identified as Ayesha, aged about 13 years, from Sirsi in Uttara Kannada district and admitted to the hospital by her employer. In a frustrated bid to escape from the house where she was employed, she jumped through the window of the room where she was locked in when none of the members of the house were around, informed a local resident explaining about the incident. She has suffered pelvic bone dislocation.
The employer identified as Abdul Salam originally from Kerala now settled at Casa Grande apartment Flat No 406, one of the posh dwellings of the city, is a businessman and hotelier with establishments in Mumbai, Karnataka and Kerala. One of Salam’s relatives informed that Salam had settled in Mangalore for the sake of the education of his children. The girl was hired for work through an agent and the girl’s mother left her at the apartment. But it seemed that the girl was not interested to work.
Children Welfare Committee (CWC) members visited the hospital and have registered a suo moto case under JJ Act 27/3. Mangalore South police, who visited the hospital, said that the girl was hired for labour about eight days ago and that the legal action will be taken by the district labour officer.