THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vattiyoorkavu police on Saturday arrested a paraplegic man for allegedly employing a 12-year-old boy. The suspect was identified as lottery seller Madanamohanan, 40, of Kodunganoor near Vattiyoorkavu. He used to make the boy push his wheelchair for up to 15 kilometres every day after giving him daily wages of Rs 50 and tea. The victim, the son of his brother-in-law, was studying in a school at Thoothukudi.
His parents separated, and the suspect convinced the child to come and push his cart in the city. “Madanamohanan lost mobility after he fell from bicycle before four years. Local councillor arranged a wheelchair for him to earn his livelihood as he is staying here for the past 20 years,” a police official said. As per some relatives, the man used to get drunk and verbally abuse the boy and create ruckus whenever the boy refuses to push the wheelchair.
The local police under SI Anoop Chandran took a suo moto case and booked him under relevant sections of Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. However, the man could not be taken to court until evening as he was passing urine in the police station since he has no control over the bladder, officials said. The suspect has learnedly brought here many women from his native place, and the police has launched a probe on their means of livelihood which is a mystery.
