Caretaker Arrested After 3-Year-Old Assaulted at Maujpur Playschool
A three-and-a-half-year-old boy was allegedly physically and sexually assaulted and mentally harassed at a private playschool in northeast Delhi's Maujpur. Following a complaint by the child's father, police arrested a caretaker and booked the school director, principal, and a teacher under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Directorate of Education (DoE) has also ordered an inquiry into the incident, constituting a committee headed by the additional director of education/regional director of education (east) to submit a report within two days.
According to the FIR registered at Jafrabad police station, the boy's father noticed drastic changes in his son's behaviour, including an inability to sleep, fear of using the toilet, and inconsolable crying at the thought of attending school. On August 18, the father took the child to an ENT specialist, who discovered swelling in the boy's eardrums and suspected physical abuse.
When the family approached the school administration for CCTV footage, the management initially claimed the cameras were non-functional and subsequently demanded Rs 1,500 to provide access. Upon reviewing the recordings, the father discovered footage showing his son being assaulted inside the classroom.
The FIR states that the child's ears were pulled, he was hit, tied to a chair for hours, and kicked off the seat, causing him to fall. The footage also showed his food being snatched away before he could eat. The complaint further includes allegations of inappropriate touching, which are being investigated under the Pocso Act. The father alleged that when confronted, a school official claimed that children are beaten every day.
A medical examination conducted at a hospital confirmed swelling on the child's left thigh and an abrasion near his left eye.
Police registered the case under BNS sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint), and 3(5) (common intention), along with Sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 12 of the Pocso Act. Investigators have seized the CCTV footage and DVR for further examination.
The school's owner stated that an investigation is underway, the caretaker and teacher have been permanently removed from the institution, and full cooperation is being extended to the police.
