After videos surfaced of a woman pilot and her husband, also an airline staff, being thrashed by a mob in Delhi's Dwarka for allegedly employing a 10-year-old girl as a domestic help and torturing her, IndiGo on Wednesday said it has derostered the employee from duties and the matter is being investigated.
Without specifically mentioning about the case, an IndiGo spokesperson said it is aware of a video circulating on social media that allegedly involves an individual employed by the airline. "We are currently investigating the matter. Meanwhile, the employee has been derostered from official duties," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Pilot, husband thrashed in Dwarka
A 10-year-old girl working as a domestic help at a couple's house in southwest Delhi's Dwarka was allegedly beaten up by the woman pilot and her husband on Wednesday, following which a mob manhandled the duo, police said. The accused – Kaushik Bagchi (36) and Poornima Bagchi (33) – have been arrested for assaulting the minor, they said.
A video from the spot shows a group of women slapping the pilot and her husband. They are seen pulling the woman’s hair and hurling abuse at her. According to the police, the woman works as a pilot in a private airline while her husband is deployed as a ground staff at another carrier.
"We found that the minor was mistreated by a couple as injuries and burn marks were found on her body. Based on the statement of the minor, the couple has been charged under strict sections of the IPC, as well as Child Labour Act and JJ Act," Dwarka DCP Harsha Vardhan Mandava said.
Delhi Commission For Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal condemned the incident and said that the strictest action should be taken against such "merciless people" for keeping a minor girl as a domestic servant.
"A 10-year-old girl was kept as a domestic help by a female pilot and her husband in Delhi and was brutally tortured. An answer has been sought from Delhi Police in this matter. Strictest action should be taken against such merciless people," she said in a tweet in Hindi.
According to media reports, a case has been registered against the duo on charges of child labour, physical abuse, and endangerment of a minor.
