Couple remanded for torturing minor

A Dhaka court yesterday placed a lawyer and her husband on a one-day remand each in a case filed over torturing their 12-year-old house help in the city's Topkhana Road area.

The accused are advocate Nahid Jahan Akhi (28), and her husband Tanvir Ahsan Pavel (32).

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Abu Sayeed passed the order after Shahbagh Police Station Sub-Inspector Jahangir Hossain, investigation officer of the case, submitted a seven-day remand prayer before the court.

In the prayer, the IO said the couple used to torture their house help on a regular basis over trivial matter. So, they need to be remanded to gather information.

On the other hand, defence for the couple, submitted a petition seeking bail along with cancellation of the remand prayer.

Upon hearing both the sides, the magistrate turned down their pleas and placed them on remand.

Meantime, the victim yesterday gave a judicial statement to a magistrate where she narrated how she was tortured.

A police team rescued a 12-year-old house help Sweety after a neighbour of her employer shared her photographs on social media, which a journalist later forwarded to the police's official Facebook page on July 3.

Sweety was admitted to one-stop crisis centre at Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment.

According to police, the girl has bruises in different body parts, including her face, and burn wounds on her hip.

Police detained the couple who employed the victim, from a disadvantaged family in Kishoreganj's Mithamoin upazila, nine months back, police sources said.