Officials of ChildLine, district child protection office and police personnel rescued a 14-year-old girl from the house of a school principal in Papanasam where she was tortured physically.

Police has registered a case under Section 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and Section 75 of Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 against the school headmistress and her daughter. Further investigation is on.

Gopika of Goundambpatti in Kulithalai taluk in Karur, who lost her parents a few years ago, was staying in her relative Rahini’s house in Amman Nagar in Papanasam. She was in Grade 7 at the Panchayat Union Middle School in Papanasam where Rahini was the headmistress.

According to sources, Rahini and her daughter Saranya beat the girl mercilessly for not obeying their orders while doing house hold work. The mother-daughter duo beat the girl severely on August 29 and burnt her palm for not obeying their orders.

On being tipped off by her neighbours, officials of ChildLine informed the matter to district child protection officer Saraswathi, who in turn, lodged a complaint at Papanasam police station. Based on her complaint, a police team led by inspector Meena rescued Gopika last night and sent her to Annai Sathya childrens’ home in Thanjavur after a medical check- up at the Government Hospital in Papanasam.