Indian police rescue starving under-age maid

(March 30, 2012) News reports say Indian police have rescued a 13-year-old maid who was locked up by her employers in their apartment with little food and water while they vacationed in Thailand. The girl was rescued on Thursday after spending six days locked up in the apartment, in an upper-middle class New Delhi neighbourhood. News reports say her employers were doctors. The Hindustan Times newspaper reported Friday that neighbours heard her crying for help and called police. Neera Mullick, a child welfare official, said the girl ran out of food after two days and was weak with hunger. India's child labour laws make it illegal to employ children under 14, but the law is widely flouted. Police could not immediately be reached for comment, and there was no way to contact the girl's employers.