Assam girl rescued in Visakhapatnam refuses to return home, alleging abuse

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 13-year-old girl from Assam, who had left her home in Kazhakoottam, Kerala, has informed authorities at a shelter in Visakhapatnam that she is unwilling to return home, citing physical abuse by her mother. The child revealed that she left home to visit her grandparents in Assam after being subjected to frequent beatings for trivial reasons.

The authorities in Visakhapatnam have recorded the child’s statement. Representatives of the Malayali Association, who met the girl after obtaining special permission, corroborated her account. Activists from the Malayalee Samajam discovered the girl at the Visakhapatnam railway station when the Tambaram Express, which departed from Chennai at 10 p.m. the previous day, arrived.

A four-member squad from the Kazhakoottam police station, led by Ranjith V S, is en route to Visakhapatnam to bring the girl back to Kerala. The team includes a woman Sub-Inspector, female police officers, and civil police officers. The child, currently under the care of the Child Welfare Committee in Visakhapatnam, will be handed over to the Kerala Police in the presence of a local magistrate.

Although the squad traveled to Visakhapatnam by a Kerala Police vehicle, the girl will be brought back either by train or another mode of transport. They are expected to return late tomorrow night. Upon arrival, the child will be presented before the Child Welfare Committee in Kerala, where she will undergo counseling. Further actions will be taken based on the child's statement and the police will need permission from the Committee before handing her over to her parents. Counseling sessions for the parents are also planned.

Investigation into allegations of abuse

The girl is reportedly in good spirits at the Visakhapatnam shelter. After initially refusing food and consuming only water, she has since started eating and is recovering. Officials noted that the child repeatedly expressed a desire to go to her grandparents.

Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Bharat Reddy stated that an investigation would be conducted to determine whether the girl was subjected to physical abuse by her parents. The child will be produced before a magistrate and her statement will be formally recorded at a later time.