"I had received complaints about this horrid doctor couple"
An Indian doctor couple from Assam has been arrested for allegedly abusing a girl. Child rights activists said the girl is their illegally adopted daughter.
Gastrointestinal and advanced general surgeon Dr Walliul Islam and his maid Lakshmi Nath were detained at the family home in Guwahati.
It was reported that psychiatrist Dr Sangeeta Datta was arrested the following day after initially going on the run.
Police registered a case against the couple under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 341 (wrongful restraint), 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.
They were also booked under section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The alleged abuse came to light after child rights activist Miguel Das Queah wrote about the matter on his social media platform, seeking help from the police to rescue the child.
There had been no evidence against the couple until one neighbour approached the police on May 5, 2023, with photos of the child bound to a post on the terrace of their apartment for several hours in the scorching summer heat.
As photos of the young girl went viral, Assam’s Director-General of Police Gyanendra Pratap Singh directed Guwahati’s Commissioner of Police, Diganta Barah to take cognisance of the matter.
Miguel wrote: “Finally the dangerous doctor couple, Dr Walliul Islam and Dr Sangeeta Datta’s cruelty, has been taken notice of by Guwahati Police.
“For a long time, I had received complaints about this horrid doctor couple, who regularly tied their little daughter (who is supposedly adopted) on their terrace, under the scorching summer sun.
“This little 3-year-old girl child also has bruises all over her body.
“The little girl also had big burn injury marks on her bottom.”
“I had requested the witnesses to file a complaint but no one was willing to do so as they were scared, but finally, today someone had the courage to call up the police.”
Following the couple’s arrest, Miguel urged the Assam Police to check the girl’s bruises, talk to neighbours and most importantly, go through the adoption documents.
On Lakshmi’s arrest, a police officer said:
“Interrogation revealed that she was asked to tie up the minor girl for being disobedient and naughty.”
Prior to her arrest, Dr Datta denied abusing the young girl.
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