A 16-year-old girl in Odisha's Ganjam district was brutally branded with hot iron for her alleged act of disobedience and six women, including her stepmother were arrested, police said.
The girl, a school drop-out, was confined in a room by the accused women who allegedly branded different parts of her body with a hot iron rod three days ago at Kambharapalli village, said the officer-in-charge of Baidyanathpur police station, Deepti Ranjan Pradhan.
Preliminary inquiry showed the girl's stepmother and others branded her with hot iron rod on Saturday as she returned home late in the night and disobeyed them, police said adding the girl was stripped and brutally tortured.
She was rescued by Childline workers with the help of police in critical condition the next night and was admitted at MKCG Medical College and Hospital.
The condition of the girl was serious, said director of Childline, Berhampur, Sudhir Sabat.
The accused, who are women of the locality, have been booked under IPC sections 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), 326 (causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), the police said.
The center coordinator of the Childline, Hiranya Ray had lodged an FIR against the accused with the police on Monday.
