A four-year-old girl suffered burns after she was allegedly forced to sit on a hot frying pan by her mother at India’s SR Nagar. Her mother and her partner were arrested, reports the Times of India.

On Satuday, 25-year-old Lalitha Mahapatra and her partner Y Prakash, 28, both natives of Ichchapuram of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh and staying at a hostel at SR Nagar, went to Bharosa Centre with the four-year-old, claiming they found the girl at Secunderabad Railway Station. Police later discovered Lalitha was the girl’s biological mother and had branded her with a hot frying pan.

‘They first approached the Bharosa Centre and told them that they found the girl at the railway station. However, SHE Team sleuths grew suspicious and grilled them. They admitted the four-year-old girl is Lalitha’s daughter,’ SR Nagar inspector Mohammed Waheeduddin said.

Lalitha confessed to thrashing her daughter and claimed she fell on a hot frying pan and suffered burn injuries. ‘The couple work at a private hostel as cook and watchman. The girl, while playing at the hostel, damaged an inmate’s laptop. As the inmate complained to Lalitha, she beat her up,’ the inspector added. The girl has been shifted to hospital.

Questioned why she approached Bharosa Centre, Lalitha claimed she was unable to take care of her daughter and wanted to shift her to a safe place.

‘This happened (branding) three days ago. Lalitha has been staying with Prakash. But, she has not taken divorce from her husband. Her four-year-old daughter was staying with them,’ Waheeduddin said.

The couple shifted to Hyderabad three years ago and were working at the hostel at SR Nagar since then.