New Delhi, July 8, 2010: A 14-year-old boy, who was locked inside a house in West Punjabi Bagh area, was rescued on a complaint of Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) by the Delhi Police today.

The boy, Mahesh (Name Changed), was employed as a domestic help at the Trehan residence for last one year. He was rescued after the BBA received an anonymous call about the boy being confined in the premises.

With a blue under his eye, Mahesh, who hails from Devaria district in Muzaffarpur, told BBA, “My employers Devender Trehan and his wife Neelam Trehan are out on a foreign trip for last three days. They had locked me in the house when they left.”

This is not the first time Trehan couple has locked the boy. According to Mahesh, in last one year, the couple had gone on seven trips and each time they had locked him in the premise with almost nothing to eat.

“I was made to work for around 18 hours a day and provided food just enough to survive. The quality of the food was very poor and at times they gave me only chapatti and salt,” he said.

“I was not given any money and also was not allowed to go home,” he said with tears in his eyes.

Even for minor mistakes like not cleaning the table nicely, he was beaten up.

Speaking on the incident, BBA Chairperson   Mr. R.S.Chaurasia said, “It is shocking that such a case of illegal confinement of child has come up in the National Capital.

Appreciating the anonymous caller, Mr. Chaurasia said, “It is due to the sincere efforts of the good Samaritans of our society that we are able to liberate such children who are illegally confined and being forced to work under miserable conditions.”

Stating that SDM, Punjabi Bagh has been informed about the rescue operation, BBA National Secretary Mr. Rakesh Senger said, “a case under Bonded Labor Act 1976 and under section 23 and 26 of J J Act should be registered against Trehan couple.”