Indore Retired Teacher Accused of Assaulting, Confining 7 Minor Girls Over Rs 500
The woman allegedly beat girls aged 8–11 and prevented them from leaving her home during a Navratri ‘kanya bhoj’ ritual; police have registered a case.
A retired teacher in Indore allegedly beat up minor girls invited to her home for "kanya bhoj", a Navratri ritual, and held them captive on suspicion of stealing Rs 500, police said on Wednesday. A case has been registered against the woman on charges of assault and wrongful confinement, they said.
The accused, identified as Anita, a retired teacher living in the MIG police station area, had invited seven girls, aged between 8 and 11, to her home on Tuesday for the "kanya bhoj" on the occasion of Navratri, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya said.
After an envelope containing Rs 500 went missing during the ritual, the girls were allegedly beaten and not allowed to leave the house on suspicion of theft, he said, quoting a complaint lodged by a family member of one of the minors.
Based on a complaint, the police have registered a case against the woman under sections 127 (wrongful confinement) and 115 (assault) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and an investigation is underway, the official said.
"The allegations are being investigated based on CCTV footage and statements from independent witnesses near the scene. Further legal action will be taken after the investigation," he said. On reports that the girls were allegedly stripped on suspicion of theft, the police official stated that no such incident was reported in the FIR.
