NAGPUR, Jan. 4 -- In a case of alleged child cruelty, the parents of a 12-year-old boy allegedly chained and confined him inside his home in Rameshwari, south Nagpur, for several hours each day over the past two months as a punishment for repeatedly stealing mobile phones, according to the police. The child, a school dropout, was rescued on Friday following a tip-off to the Maharashtra government's women and child development department and the Nagpur police. He has since been shifted to a government-run children's home, where he is undergoing medical treatment and counselling. The case came to light after local residents alerted authorities, calling it a serious violation of child rights. Acting on the information, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) formed a team that raided the boy's house. Officials said the boy was found in a terrified and distressed state, confined indoors with chains and a padlock fastened around his legs. He was also allegedly standing on a bucket due to the lack of space. Police said the parents, who are daily-wage workers, would tie him up around 9 am daily before leaving for work. A medical examination revealed injuries on the child's hands and legs caused by prolonged use of chains and ropes, along with signs of mental and physical trauma. Officials said the parents had discontinued the child's education and had subjected him to such treatment for nearly two months. The child was rescued and moved to a safe location before being admitted to a children's home for rehabilitation. The case will be placed before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) to decide on his long-term care and protection, officials said. The child's parents allegedly told officials that the boy was mischievous, often ran away from home, disobeyed them and stole mobile phones. They claimed they chained him to control his "misbehaviour". District Child Protection Officer Mushtak Pathan called the punishment inhuman, saying the child was in extremely dire circumstances when the rescue team reached the house. He had no space to move and was allegedly kept without food or water. "It was shocking to see such inhuman punishment being inflicted on such a young child," Pathan said. A complaint has been filed against the parents at the Ajni police station, and the case is being examined under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and other relevant laws. However, police said no offence had been formally registered yet. Senior inspector Nitin Rajkumar of the Ajni police station said complaints involving the boy had earlier been reported at multiple police stations in the city and rural areas. "We are referring the matter to the Child Welfare Committee," he said....