7 Girls Invited For Navratri Kanya Bhoj, Then Beaten Over Missing Rs 500 In Indore

A teacher has been accused of beating seven girls aged between eight and 11 and confining them at her home after Rs 500 went missing during a Navratri kanya bhoj ritual. Police said Anita had invited the girls before suspecting them of theft.

A retired teacher in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has been booked for allegedly beating seven minor girls and preventing them from leaving her home after an envelope containing Rs 500 went missing during a Navratri ritual. Police said on Wednesday that the woman, identified as Anita, had invited the girls, aged between eight and 11, to her house for kanya bhoj, a ritual observed during Navratri in which young girls are worshipped and offered food. The alleged incident took place on Tuesday, October 20.

According to the police, the girls were suspected of stealing the money after the envelope went missing. A complaint filed by a family member of one of the girls alleged that Anita assaulted them and held them inside the house.

What happened during the kanya bhoj?

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Dandotiya said Anita, a retired teacher living in the MIG police station area of Indore, had invited seven girls to her home for the ritual.

The situation allegedly took a turn after an envelope containing Rs 500 went missing. Suspecting the girls of theft, the woman allegedly beat them and did not allow them to leave the house, according to the complaint.

The allegations came to light after a family member of one of the minors approached the police. The complaint prompted the registration of a case against the retired teacher.

Police have not announced any findings establishing who took the money or whether the girls had any involvement in its disappearance. The allegations against Anita are under investigation.

Case registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

Police have registered a case against Anita under Sections 127 and 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deal with wrongful confinement and assault, respectively.

Dandotiya said investigators were examining CCTV footage and recording statements from independent witnesses in the area to establish what happened.

He added that further legal action would be taken after the investigation. The police have not disclosed any final findings in the case.

Police clarify reports about alleged stripping

Reports also emerged alleging that the girls were stripped during the incident on suspicion of theft. However, Dandotiya said no such incident had been reported in the first information report (FIR).

The claims of assault and wrongful confinement are being investigated.

The investigation will seek to establish the sequence of events at the house, including what happened after the envelope went missing and whether the girls were prevented from leaving.

(With inputs from agencies)