MUMBAI: An 11-year-old girl, who was mercilessly beaten up and kicked by her employers, made to eat green chillies as punishment and starved for days on end, was finally rescued late on Saturday after a year of excruciating torture .

The girl, who was brought to the city from a village in Uttar Pradesh, was employed by Sarjil Ansari (36) and his wife Farhat (32), residents of Poonam Crown building at Govind Nagar in Mira Road. A trader in napkins, Sarjil was arrested on Sunday but Farhat is still hiding, possibly at a relative’s home.

On Saturday evening, unable to bear the beatings anymore, the girl ran out of her employers’ flat and sought refuge with a neighbour. She told the society members that the Ansaris had sold off their flat and would move out in a few days but she did not want to go along with them. Around 20 members of the society took the girl to Mira Road police station where the group spent the entire night before a complaint could be registered on Sunday. Rehana Mukadam, who lodged the complaint, said they had known about the girls’ suffering for a while and on January 5, they talked to the Ansaris. “The couple have been staying in the building for the past five years and they hardly talk to the other residents. When we confronted them about the girl, they apologized and promised not to torture her anymore. But on Saturday evening, she was mercilessly thrashed again,” said Mukadam. The girl had serious injury marks all over her body, including her stomach, back and neck, the police confirmed.

The girl told the police that she came from a poor family in UP. As her parents could not make ends meet, a distant relative brought her to the city and took her to the Ansaris’ place. The couple said her job would be to play with their one-year-old daughter and promised to send money to the girl’s parents. They had also promised to educate her, she told the police. But when she started living with the Ansaris, she was made to do all household chores such as cleaning utensils, washing clothes, dusting and even running errands for the couple’s business, the girl told the police. There was no other help in the house. If she faulted on anything, the Ansaris beat her up ruthlessly, often starved her and did not allow her to talk to any of the neighbours, the girl told TOI. She claimed Farhat would make her chew green chillies and also kick her hard if she ever dozed off during work. To muffle her screams, the couple would switch on the music system, she said.

The society members have contacted the girl’s parents at Budaun district in UP and they are expected to arrive in the city shortly. Once they are here, the police will also question them about the girl’s claim that the Ansaris had bought her from a third party for Rs 15,000. “For now, the child is in the custody of an NGO. Sarjil will be produced in Thane sessions court on Monday,” said inspector Arun Nikam. The couple have been booked under sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 374 (unlawful compulsory labour) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.