The Nagpur District Child Protection Cell has rescued a 12-year-old boy who was tied up in chains by his parents over his “misbehaviour".

Police said they had received information from the child helpline 1098 about a 12-year-old boy being tied up every day by his parents, who were daily wage labourers, before they went to work.

“The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Anjni police station in Nagpur. According to the information, the child was being tied up every day for the past 3-4 months. This had caused injuries on the boy’s legs," police said.

They further said, “The parents informed that they had tied him up as he had started committing petty theft when they would go to work. They used to tie him up with chains when leaving for work and remove them after returning."

“When our team reached the house on Friday, the child was found in extremely dire circumstances. He was chained, had no space to move, and had been kept without food or water. The condition of the child shocked the team, as such a young boy was subjected to such inhuman punishment," Indian Express quoted District Child Protection Officer Mushtak Pathan saying.

A case has been registered against the parents by the Anjni police, police said, adding that the boy been sent to a child home and is being counselled.

The police have started an investigation into the matter under the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and other relevant sections.