UPDATE: Police Say Assam Psychiatrist Sangeeta Datta Abused Adopted Twins for Months, Burned with Cigarettes

May 9, 2023

[Psychcrime note: Media of May 8th reported that the psychiatrist and her surgeon husband were arrested for torturing a four-year-old adopted child. The following report, of May 9th, states that the couple abused adopted twin three-year-olds.]

A doctor couple from Guwahati was arrested on May 5 for allegedly keeping twin siblings captive in their home and abusing them for several months. The doctors - Dr Waliul Islam, a surgeon, and Dr Sangeeta Datta, a psychiatrist - have been sent to police custody along with their domestic help, who has been sent to judicial custody, the police said, adding that the couple has been charged under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act.

One of the girls had several injury marks on her body. The medical examination revealed that her private parts were burned with cigarettes, the police said.

The Guwahati Commissioner of Police (CP), Diganta Barah, said, “The minor girl was kept captive on the fourth floor of Roma Enclave, the residence of the doctor couple. The 3-year-old girl had injury and burn marks on her private parts and bruises on several parts of her body. During the medical examination, it was also found that her private parts were burned with cigarettes.”

“All the three accused, including their maid Lakshmi Nath, have been arrested. They were produced before the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Guwahati on Sunday after which the court sent the couple to five-day police custody and the maid, Laxmi Nath, to seven-day judicial custody. The couple has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act," he said.

Barah further said that the case is under investigation and the Assam’s Director General of Police (DGP) and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma are personally monitoring the case.

The police are trying to search for the parents of the twins and how they got trapped at the couple’s house. “The main intention for abusing the children is yet to be known. We are continuing our investigation to find the truth,” the police said.

Children's rights activist Miguel Das Queah suspected something was amiss at the accused's house. In March, a few informants told Das that the accused would keep one of the children tied to a pole on the terrace in the scorching heat.

The case was taken up by the police this month after one of the informants finally approached them and reported the incident.

Source: Saraswat Kashyap, “Assam doctor couple kept 3-year-olds captive, burnt privates with cigarettes,” India Today, May 9, 2023, URL: https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/assam-guwahati-child-abuse-dr-waliul-islam-sangeeta-dutta-cigarette-burns-private-parts-2376461-2023-05-08