Doctor’s attendant in Ghaziabad shackles minor with chain for allegedly stealing slippers, arrested
A photographer with a local newspaper saw the child chained to a pole and clicked pictures to inform the police. The child was unchained shortly after and the attendant was arrested on Wednesday.
A clinic attendant, who allegedly tied a minor boy with a thick metal chain for allegedly stealing slippers, was arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad on Wednesday, officials said.
The police said that Asif was booked under the Indian Penal Code sections for wrongful confinement and provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act (JJ Act) at Kavi Nagar police station and was also slapped with provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act at the Kavi Nagar police station.
The incident had come to light on Tuesday afternoon after several local journalists found the boy tied to the chain outside a at Phonics speech and hearing clinic at the district centre in Raj Nagar and clicked pictures.
“The accused was initially booked under section 151 of the CrPC (Criminal Procedure Code) but later an FIR was lodged under the provisions of the JJ Act and wrongful confinement of IPC (Indian Penal Code). The accused was arrested and the police also found the child. He was sent for medical examination,” Vaibhav Krishna, senior superintendent of police, said.
The officials said that the police themselves lodged an FIR against the accused. It is alleged that the child had tried to run away with slippers kept outside the clinic and the attendant later tied him with the chain as punishment. After the intervention of local journalists, the police arrived and picked up Asif.
“A photographer with a local newspaper saw the child whose leg was tied to a chain. He clicked some pictures and informed the police. Fearing police action, the attendant unlocked the chain and freed the child. After this, the police arrived and took the attendant away,” a local journalist, who came to the spot, said.
The police tried to find the boy seen in the picture but he could not be traced till Tuesday night. However, he was finally found from a nearby slum.
When contacted, Dr Lovneet Malhotra of the clinic denied that any such incident has taken place there.
“Asif has been my attendant but I cannot comment whether he was involved or not. The place in the picture is several shops away from my clinic. I have no knowledge about the incident and the incident did not take place at my clinic,” Malhotra said.
