Assaulted, branded & tortured: 4-year-old girl illegally adopted, abused by 'foster parents'

Coimbatore: A 4-year-old girl was allegedly subjected to torture and assault by a couple that adopted her illegally. The girl was allegedly beaten up and branded by the accused in Tamil Nadu's Coimbatore district. The case surfaced after the owner of the accused's house saw injury marks and burns on the girl's body.

After seeing the injuries, the owner contacted the cops and the child was rescued. Allegedly, the accused couple illegally adopted the child through a broker.

Girl's elder sister adopted by another family

A probe revealed that the 4-year-old child was adopted illegally by the couple, without any documentation and her elder sister was adopted by another family.

Reportedly, the accused used to assault the girl and brand her. To add to her woes, the heartless accused allegedly poured hot water on the girl. Initially, when some of the neighbours asked the accused about the marks, they claimed that the child had been assaulted by her biological parents, The Hindu reported.

After learning about the assault, the district child protection unit intervened and launched an inquiry into the case. The girl narrated her plight to the officials, exposing the lies told by the accused.

The accused were booked under Section 324 (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the Indian Penal Code as well as Sections 75 (cruelty to child) and 80 (adoption without following prescribed procedures) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The girl was rescued and shifted to a childcare institution. The cops are also on the lookout for the biological parents of the girl who agreed to the adoption.