Numbness gave way to throbbing pain as this minor girl, Neena (name changed) from an extremely remote area of Himachal Pradesh tried to come to terms with reality, sitting beside the bed of her twin sister, who is under treatment for depression and physical injury at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) hospital here.

Neena’s sister was brought to the hospital last week in a state of shock and fear, after she was allegedly beaten up in a house in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district, where the two sisters were reportedly made to work.

“We were beaten up in routine on small mistakes. We could not share our agony with anyone they threatened us of dire consequences,” said Neena, 13. “We had agreed to live with the family eleven months ago, hoping for a better future. But everything is shattered,” Neena said in a choked voice, as she refused to elaborate further.

After the issue was brought to light by the Shimla based Umang Foundation and the father of victim girls lodged a complaint with the Police headquarters here last week, the Sirmaur Police registered a case under Section 8 of POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act against one accused and arrested him.

A second case under Section 323 of IPC and Section 23 of Juvenile Justice Act has been registered against his wife and the investigation is on.

Sources said the hapless struggle of the twin sisters, who are from backward Kupvi belt of Shimla district, has to do with the alleged ‘link-ups’, taking advantage of abject poverty and unawareness of folks in the interiors of the hill state.

The poor parents often send their daughters to live with well off families in cities reportedly as undeclared domestic help in the name of better education and care.  

In this case, the minor girls were sent by their illiterate father, a poor farmer having six children (including five girls) to live with a family in Paonta Sahib through an acquaintance in adjoining Ronhat area.

 “The person in Ronhat said his God sister’s family in Paonta Sahib would take care of my daughters and get them admission in the school. In lieu, the girls would help them at home after school hours. I didn’t know that they would torture my daughters like this,” he said. 

The father said he was informed by the family last week that one of his daughters was admitted to a private hospital in Dehdradun as she was sick. “My daughter was unconscious, but they did not come to see her, after I reached there,” he said.

He said he was sent an ambulance from Shimla by a known in IGMC canteen to bring his ailing daughter from Dehdradun.