IANS - 8/22/2009
The actress, Urvashi Dhanorkar, has been accused of brutally assaulting 10-year-old Rameshwari, locking up the child at home and employing a minor as a labourer, said a duty officer of Amboli police station in Andheri west.
"The victim has been sent for a medical check-up and we are awaiting the reports," he said.
The officer said Rameshwari was brought to Mumbai from Amravati last April on the pretext that she would be given an education. However, she was forced to work as a maid in Urvashi's home in the posh Royal Palms Complex in Versova.
A week ago, Urvashi reportedly caught Rameshwari eating. The actress banged the child's head against a wall and burnt her arms, he added.
Thereafter, Rameshwari was confined at home and allowed outside only a couple of days ago. Some neighbours and social activists noticed the physical abuse she had undergone and took her to the police.
Rameshwari told reporters that she was never given sufficient food and had been physically abused and tortured repeatedly in the past few months.
Urvashi was produced before a magistrate in Bandra Saturday afternoon and bailed out after posting a Rs.10,000 surety, the officer added.
This is the third instance of abuse of a domestic help in Andheri region in the past three months.
Actor Shiney Ahuja was nabbed for raping his maid servant in his Versova home in June. In July, three activists of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were nabbed for gang-raping a minor domestic help in a garden in Andheri east.
Source: http://www.nowrunning.com/news/bollywood/actress-beats-burns-little-maid-for-eating/25361/story.htm
Video:http://ibnlive.in.com/videos/99699/actress-held-for-beating-burning-domestic-help.html
Another Article:
Actress held for beating, burning domestic help
CNN-IBN
Mumbai: In Mumbai, a 10-year-old girl was made to work as a housemaid and allegedly beaten up and burnt by her employer - a small screen actor.
Actor Urvashi Dhanorkar reportedly brought the child to Mumbai from Amravati in May on the pretext of adopting her and providing her education. But the child was allegedly beaten up, held captive for over three months and burnt with a hot object.
The child labour and abuse victim, says, "I was brought to Mumbai saying that I would get education but she didn't do that. They hit me with a hook in my eyes and burnt me with a hot spoon."
It was only when residents in the housing society grew suspicious that that they complained to the police and took the child for a medical check-up.
Police have now registered a case against Urvashi Dhanorkar under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Child Labour Act IPC Section 324, RW Section 23 and 26. Child Labour Act.
The Chairman of the Raheja Classic Housing Society - where the actress lives - Bindu Bhosle says, "I thought it would be a normal servant-master dispute but when I saw the girl, looking at her injury marks we knew something was fishy."
Sandhya Bajaj of the National Commission for the Protection of Child's Rights has also condemned the incident.
However, Urvashi Dhanorkar's lawyer, Nitin Satpute said, "The case is false. On the fifth, the girl had opened a hot water tap so her hand got burned. She is from the village so she didn't know about it. She had a bee sting a few days back, so she had a swelling on her face. She is on some medication so that had a reaction on her face. Some social workers took advantage of the little girl and are saying that my client has ill-treated her."
The incident has evoked sharp reaction from various quarters with Maharashtra Labour Minister Nawab Malik saying the government would ensure that the victim gets justice.
Urvashi was arrested late last night from her residence after a complaint was registered against her. She was produced before a local court today which granted her bail on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.
Source:http://www.ibnlive.com/news/actress-held-for-beating-burning-domestic-help/99699-8.html
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