Man arrested under POCSO for mistreating girls

A well-off resident of Paonta Sahib near here was arrested yesterday by Sirmaur police on charges of sexually harassing and beating two teen-aged sisters living in his house as maids.
The Sirmaur district police said following his arrest, accused Vijay Bhalla was produced in a local court and has been sent to police custody for two days.
The police of this south eastern district of Himachal Pradesh is also on the look out for Bhalla's wife and one other, who are absconding.
The Sirmaur police said Bhalla and his wife along with one Pankal have been booked under section 12 of the Protection of Children From Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act, 2012, section 323 of the Indian Penal Code and section 23 of Juvenile Justice Act.

The case of exploitation of the twin sisters came to light early this week after one of the sisters undergoing treatment at a local hospital for treatment after having been allegedly thrashed by Bhalla's wife caught the attention of a local NGO Umang Foundation.
The NGO traced the victim girl's family to a nearby village and informed her father of her plight at the hospital.

The case against the offending family members were subsequently registered on the complaint of the twin sisters' father and the statement of the victim girls.
It transpired that the victim girls had been brought to Poanta Sahib from their native village by one Pankal, an acquaintance of the girls' family on the pretext that at Bhallas' residence, they would be able to continue their studies while staying there as their family members.

They were, however, never sent to school and were forced to do the domestic chores and subjected to torture and harassment, the police said.