KATHMANDU, June 13: On May 27, a team from the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) visited the house of Lumbini Province Assembly Member Rekha Kumari Sharma in Dhumbarahi following a special information about child laborers at her residence. Upon arrival, the team discovered a 14-year-old girl working at Sharma's house.
Dhiraj Joshi, a member of the Mayor's Secretariat, stated that the team rescued the girl, placed her in a safe house, and filed a complaint against Sharma. "We acted on special information, found the girl, rescued her, and kept her in a safe house," Joshi explained. It was revealed that the girl had been working there for eight years and is currently studying in class seven.
Joshi mentioned that the girl's mental condition is concerning. "She doesn't speak well and hesitates to share her thoughts," he said. It was also found that she has not been allowed to meet her family since she started working there at the age of eight. After the rescue, the girl's father visited her.
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Joshi added that Sharma had made the girl do all the household chores. "The girl said she had to cook, clean, wash clothes, and handle all the housework," Joshi reported. Sharma had allegedly brought the girl to Kathmandu under the pretext of providing her with an education. "Although her father came to take her after the rescue, we have not sent her with him. We will keep her in a safe house for some time and then decide what to do next," Joshi stated.
On Wednesday, the metropolitan team filed a complaint against Sharma at the Teku Police Station under child-related offenses. "We have filed a complaint and will proceed with the legal process," Joshi said.
Meanwhile, Kathmandu Police Chief Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Basanta Rajaure stated that he could not comment on the complaint as he was out of the office. "I am currently out of the office. I do not have information about all the complaints," he said.
Attempts to reach Provincial Assembly Member Rekha Kumari Sharma for a response were unsuccessful as her mobile phone was found to be switched off.
