Father, Stepmother Arrested For Brutally Thrashing Children In Odisha’s Athagarh

Cuttack: A woman of Odisha’s Athagarh was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly torturing her stepchildren.

Her husband and father of the two children has also be arrested. They have been identified as Sunil Kumar Nanda and his second wife Puspalata Nanda.

Briefing the media, Athagarh police station IIC Aniruddha Muduli said that two children were badly injured after being thrashed by the stepmother on October 30. They were admitted to sub-divisional hospital here by their neighbours after they managed to slip out of the house.

“On October 31, their biological mother Jayashree lodged a complaint with police in this matter. Following which, a case under Sections 342, 294, 323, 325, 307, 506 & 34 of the IPC was registered and the duo was arrested,” he added.

Sources further informed that Sunil Nanda, a resident of Parthapur village in Banki area, had been residing in Ashok Nagar under Athagarh police limits, with his second wife and 13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter, who were born out of his first wedlock.

His first wife had separated from him following alleged torture and was staying in Khurda. The brother-sister duo were also subjected to intense torture in the absence of their biological mother. Puspalata has admitted to having brutally beaten them for eating some biscuits on October 30.

While narrating their ordeal, the children told reporters that their father and stepmother would beat them up almost daily. “She would hit us with rolling pin and even an iron spatula. Today, we managed to escape,” said the girl, who was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

“The boy has signs of multiple assaults. He has a blood clot in his eye and injury marks on his private part,” said a doctor of the sub-divisional hospital.