A 5-year-old girl was seen tied and abandoned in the scorching sun as 'punishment' in a video which went viral on social media on Wednesday, 8 June.
The Delhi Police has lodged an First Information Report (FIR) against the girl's mother under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
The mother told the police that she had punished her daughter "only for 5-7 minutes" for not having completed her homework.
Earlier social media posts said that the incident happened in Karawal Nagar on 2 June. But the police later tracked the incident down to Khajuri Khas.
In the 25-second video, which seemed to have been shot from a nearby house, a woman claimed that the mother had left the child on the roof around 2 pm.
‘Apologetic About the Incident’: Girl’s Father
Claiming that the girl is naughty and often misbehaves with her mother, the girl’s father, 39-year-old Raj Kumar, a tailor by profession, said his wife had left the child on the terrace only for some time and they were apologetic about the incident.
Kumar added that their family is undergoing a financial crisis and said, “We are not able to afford even basic life necessities but we are ensuring proper education for our children. When our daughter was not concentrating on her studies, my wife got upset and decided to punish her,” The Hindu reported.
Saying that they have brought shame to their family, colony and society, Kumar said that they might not be able to survive this humiliation and that he is scared that the police might take action against them.
Social Media Reacts
The video has been widely decried on social media. While some called the incident 'inhumane' others demanded that the mother be punished.
Meanwhile, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal took suo moto cognisance of the video and issued a notice to the police, asking them to rescue the girl and investigate the matter.
Further, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR) said the authorities concerned have been informed about the incident, immediate action has been initiated and the matter is being investigated.
(With inputs from NDTV and The Hindu.)
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