8-year-old girl working as maid rescued from businessman’s house in Karnataka

Alert school teachers of Government Higher Primary School in Basavanagudi, with the help of police, on Wednesday rescued their class II student from the clutches of a businessman who had allegedly engaged the girl as a maid in his Banashankari II Stage house.

The girl is identified the eight-year-old girl as Gangamma. Her parents — Shanthamma and Shankar — hail from Gulbarga. They have been working at the Namma Metro site in Basavanagudi as daily labourers for the last two years.

Gangamma was not attending the school since Monday. Students in Gangamma’s neighbourhood informed Shobha, the class teacher that she was sold to someone.

A shocked Shobha rushed to Gangamma’s house where Shanthamma said that Gangamma was in her native place. When the teacher threatened with police action, Shanthamma admitted that the girl was sold to a businessman who promised to pay Rs3,000 every month. She said the businessman also assured education to her daughter.

Shanthamma did not know the name of the businessman, but had his residence address and telephone number. The teacher collected the contact details and informed the matter to the school’s headmistress, Devarajamma.

The headmistress called up the businessman, but was told that there was no girl named Gangamma in their house. Devarajamma informed the matter to block education officer Thimmaiah who insisted on contacting the police or child right commission to save the child.

On Wednesday morning, the headmistress contacted the Basavanagudi police and lodged a complaint. A police team went to the address given by the Gangamma’s mother and located the girl in a house on 15th Cross, 8th A Main, Banashankari II Stage.

The house belonged to Sairam, who has a wholesale cloth shop in Cottonpet.

The police asked Sairam to bring the girl to the police station and give a statement. Sairam said he had brought the girl to provide education as the parents were unable to do so.

But the police team insisted that he come to the station.

Sairam reportedly told the police that he knew city police commissioner Shankar M Bidari personally and will speak to him.

After persistent demands, he finally sent his wife, whose name was not revealed by the police, along with the child to the police station.

Sairam’s wife gave a written statement that the girl was brought with permission from her mother to provide better education.

The teachers, on the other hand, filed a complaint against Sairam’s family. The girl was handed over to her mother.

However, the police have not filed any case against the businessman.

“They took the girl with the intention of providing education to her. The girl’s mother, Shanthamma, also told the same thing to the police. So, we did not file any case and the girl was handed over to her mother in the presence of her teachers,” said a police officer.

Shanthamma said that the businessman took her daughter saying he will take care of the girl, including giving her education. “He told me that he will send the girl to the school. But he did not do that,” she said.

One of Gangamma’s teachers, Amritha, described the girl as bright and brilliant.

The girl told DNA that she was washing dishes at Sairam’s house. “They told me to lie down on a mattress and I was taking cold water bath every day,” said Gangamma.