5-yr-old girl burnt with cigarettes by father, rescued by police

Indore (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 11 (IANS) A five-year-old girl who was tortured by her father and burnt with cigarettes was on Sunday rescued by police and sent to a Childline home in Madhya Pradesh's Indore. The father has been arrested.

Childline Coordinator, Avinash told IANS that some residents of Devnagar, which falls under MIG police station area, informed the Childline call centre on Saturday night that a minor was being tortured by her father.

A team of Childline along with local police raided the house and caught Pankaj Pandey, the father, red handed.

Avinash said the girl was burnt with cigarettes and burnt marks and injuries were found all over her body. She was traumatized by her father. The girl was taken to MIG police station and then sent to Childline on the direction of a Child Welfare Judge.

"The minor in her statement to police shared her ordeal and said after her mother went out for work in the day hours, her father, Pankaj Pandey, used to beat her on account of petty issues and housework. He sometimes burnt her with cigarettes. Pankaj would be on night duty and used to stay at home during the day hours when the victim was found alone," Avinash said.