What was supposed to be a routine day at a daycare turned into a frightening experience for the family of a three-year-old boy, who was allegedly tied to a small yellow plastic chair, cornered and slapped hard.
Disturbing visuals from a playschool in Delhi have been making the rounds on social media. The footage allegedly shows a daycare teacher pushing the three-year-old boy, using her legs to push him and later taking him into a corner and slapping him.
The incident was reported from Mukund’s Play School in the Maujpur area of northeast Delhi. Police have registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act in connection with the incident.
Five people have been named as accused in the case, police said. They include the school’s director Sunita Bansal, principal Neelam, teachers Simran and Pooja, and a caretaker.
According to the child’s parents, the alleged abuse came to their notice after the three-year-old complained of ear pain. They also noticed visible bruises on his face and arms.
The parents then took the child to a doctor, who reportedly found that his eardrum had been torn. According to the family, the doctor said the injury appeared to have been caused by physical assault.
Following this, the parents approached the school administration and raised concerns about possible abuse. However, the child’s father alleged that the school initially denied that any physical assault had taken place.
The father subsequently sought access to the classroom’s CCTV footage. He alleged that the school administration demanded Rs 1,500 in exchange for the footage. According to the family, they made the payment and obtained the recordings.
The child’s mother reviewed footage from August 16, 17 and 18. According to the family, the recordings show the child being tied to a chair using an apron, while the teacher and caretaker allegedly physically mistreated and assaulted him.
Speaking to the media, the boy’s father alleged that the child was tied to the chair with an apron for nearly three hours and was subjected to continuous beating.
This incident has sparked concerns amongst working parents who rely on the day care for their toddlers safety whilst at work.