Delhi court finds man guilty of employing 9-year-old at home

A year later, the child “turned hostile and stated his mother was employed at the house of the accused, and he had been studying there,” the court said.

Delhi High Court

A Delhi court has convicted a man accused of employing a 9-year-old boy as a domestic worker at his home, even though the child turning hostile during cross-examination, observing that the child’s statement is possibly a “tutored” , and “to act upon the same would lead to miscarriage of justice”.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vijeta Singh Rajawat held the accused, Parveen Babbar, guilty under the JJ Act as well the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. The arguments on the quantum of sentence will be heard on August 28.

The boy was rescued on December 10, 2013 after a tip-off that he was employed at a house in Badarpur. He had testified that he did household chores there. He said he was not treated badly and his mother received Rs 1,000 as wages for his work.

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A year later, the child “turned hostile and stated his mother was employed at the house of the accused, and he had been studying there,” the court said.

“Even though he claimed he was not assaulted, exposing the child aged 9 years to do household chores does cause unnecessary mental and physical suffering to him,” the court said.

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