Another case of domestic staff torture surfaces in Islamabad

Islamabad police have arrested a woman after yet another case of torture on a minor working as domestic help in a house.

Andaleeb Fatima, 13 was named as the victim in the FIR, filed by her mother, Khalida Bibi, a resident of Chiniot in Punjab. Andaleeb had been working for the accused woman since July of this year and according to her mother, she was unable to talk to her daughter since was not allowed to do so by her employer.

It was only when Khalida Bibi visited Fatima after several unanswered calls that she found out about the torture inflicted upon her daughter. She found bruises on different parts of her daughter’s body. Fatima told her mother that her employer routinely beat her and tormented her with a hot spoon. She also locked her up and did not feed her food.

On Khalida’s arrival, the employer locked mother and daughter in a room so that they are unable to speak against her. However, later, she released them from confinement and sent them off without Andaleeb’s salary.

Andaleeb has been admitted in a hospital for medical examination while investigation into the case has been initiated. The registered case is based on the charges of 328-A (cruelty to a child), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) under the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).According to Dawn.com, the accused was presented before a magistrate’s court and was later sent to Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on judicial remand.