NEW DELHI, DEC 22: Rajkumar has been through it all. A stint at school, job-hunting in the city, domestic violence, neuro-surgical treatment and extensive newspaper publicity. The one aspiration he nurses is to grow up. Rajkumar alias Raju is, after all, only nine years old.Recuperating at RML Hospital with possible fractures of the skull, Raju speaks with the voice of a grown-up: ``I am waiting for my father to get here. We will sit together and discuss my future.''He turns into a disarming nine-year-old. ``Given a choice I would love to stay back in the city and study,'' he says, ``If I go back to my village I would probably become a farmer like my father or a truck-helper like my brother.'' So what plans has he charted for himself? ``A police officer sounds fine. What's more I would get an opportunity to help young children who are beaten up by elders,'' says Raju, flashing a toothy grin towards the constable perched beside his bed.Raju was beaten, burnt and severely scarred allegedly by hisemployers at their Shalimar Bagh residence for the last eight months. He managed to break loose one afternoon when he sneaked out and was rescued in a bus by a newsphotographer.Raju was allegedly bashed up with a rolling pin, scratched until his skin tore, made to stand naked, and endure cold showers every time he erred. ``I used to get hungry and eat something. For this I would be severely beaten first by the lady and then by the man.'' His disfigured face bears testimony to his account.The family have not spoken on the subject, evading reporters whenever they were approached. It will be a while before Raju gets over it all completely. ``Once they even struck me with hot iron, inflicting wounds on the neck.'' He remembers, twitching his swollen left eye in pain.Sticks, bats, belts. torture May 24, 1999 - Shiv Shankar, 12, was found hanging in house in Chittaranjan Park, His employer, a bachelor, was accused of having political connections. September 16, 1999 - Rambahadur,employed with Kashmere Lal for six months was reportedly beaten by Lal's family with sticks and a bat. September 1999 - Iti, 12, was sexually harassed and later murdered allegedly by her employer. December 6, 1999 - Mangal Mandal (12) was stripped and beaten at a Shalimar Bagh house. His employers suspected him of stealing a box of jewellery on Diwali.
