Assam Psychiatrist Sangeeta Datta Arrested on Charges of Torturing Adopted 4-Year-Old Daughter

May 9, 2023

In a horrific incident, a doctor couple was arrested for allegedly torturing their adopted four-year-old daughter in Guwahati, Assam. Per ANI, the couple tied the girl to a pole on their terrace and tortured her in the Paltan Bazaar area of the state. Police arrested the accused couple—wife Sangeeta Datta, a psychiatrist, and husband Walliul Islam, a general surgeon—and rescued the minor girl.

Victim was tied to pole, beaten with hot rod: Police

Police said they arrested Datta from Meghalaya while the husband was held at his Guwahati residence. "Police received information that a four-year-old is tied up on a pole on the terrace of a house and she was being beaten with a hot rod. Police immediately rushed to the spot and rescued the minor girl," Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Nandini Kakati told ANI.

Doctor couple allegedly misled police

Reportedly, the doctor couple first misled the police by claiming that the girl was their child, but during the investigation, police found out that she was adopted. "When we rescued the minor girl, we also found several injuries, and burn marks on her body," Kakati added. She added that they have arrested the accused couple and a police investigation is underway.

Neighbor's complaint led to discovery of torture tale

Per HT, the couple's neighbor approached the police regarding the alleged torture, following which a suo motu case was registered. [Psychcrime note: suo moto is a legal term used in India which means a legal action that is taken by the court without request from the parties involved.] They were charged under sections 307 (attempt to murder), 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), 342 (wrongful restraint) of the Indian Penal Code, and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO). Later, the doctors' domestic help, Lakshmi Rai, also reportedly corroborated the complaint.

According to the police, the couple adopted the child three and a half years ago, but without any documentation. "The couple was asked to show documents of adoption which they could not furnish," per the Assam Police. A similar incident happened in February this year in Gurugram, when police rescued a 14-year-old girl, who was allegedly sexually assaulted, starved, and tortured by her employers.

Source: Manzoor-ul-Hassan, “Guwahati: Doctor couple abused, tortured adopted 4-year-old daughter; arrested,” News Bytes, May 8, 2023, URL: https://www.newsbytesapp.com/news/india/doctor-couple-arrested-for-torturing-adopted-4-year-old-in-guwahati-assam/story