Barmer, Aug. 21 -- A 40-year old hostel warden has been detained after a case of child abuse surfaced from a residential hostel at Harpalethar Mahadev Temple in Sedwa area of Barmer district, where children were allegedly branded with hot iron rods as punishment for urinating in bed, police said on Wednesday. Deep Singh, station house officer at Sedwa police station, said, "We have received a complaint alleging torture of children at the hostel. One person, identified as Narayan Giri, a resident of Bharatpur, has been detained, and further investigation is underway." The matter came to light late Tuesday evening when one of the children, who had been branded with a hot iron rod, fled the hostel and informed his relatives. Soon after, families of the children rushed to the hostel, where they discovered shocking injuries and created an uproar. Locals also admitted that they had warned the hostel warden on several occasions, but to avoid bringing disrepute to the temple trust, no formal complaint was ever filed nor strict action taken. The families then filed a complaint with police, leading to the detention of Narayan Giri, a resident of Bharatpur. Eyewitnesses and relatives alleged that the hostel staff had been consistently targeting children - particularly those who wet the bed at night - with this inhumane punishment. Photographs of the injuries have since been widely circulated in the community, sparking outrage. The hostel, run by the temple trust since 2008, currently houses about 25 children, most of them orphans or from poor, nomadic, and underprivileged families. Established to provide food, shelter, and education, the institution now faces serious questions about its functioning and safety standards. Police have launched an investigation and assured strict action against the accused. The child protection department has also intervened to assess the condition of the hostel and ensure the safety of the children. Families of the victims are demanding exemplary punishment for those responsible and stricter monitoring of such residential institutions to prevent further abuse....