Playschool Staff Member Arrested in Jaffrabad for Assault on 3-Year-Old Boy
The Delhi Police have arrested an employee of a private day care and playschool in north-east Delhi’s Jaffrabad following a complaint that a three-year-old boy was physically assaulted and sexually harassed at the facility.
A case was registered on August 28 against the arrested staff member, along with the school director, principal, and a teacher. The charges were filed under Sections 115(2) and 126(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, and Section 12 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. Police confirmed that efforts are under way to arrest the remaining three accused.
According to the complaint filed by the child's father, the boy had been refusing to attend the playschool for several days and experienced difficulty using the washroom. On August 18, the child began vomiting, prompting his parents to consult an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist. The doctor identified severe swelling in both of the child's eardrums and stated that the injuries resulted from a beating.
The family subsequently requested access to the playschool's CCTV footage. The father alleged that the school director charged ₹1,500 to provide the recordings. The footage, covering August 16 to August 18 and received by the parents on August 25, purportedly showed the child being tied to a chair, slapped, having his ears pulled, and having the chair kicked by a teacher and the support staff member inside the classroom while other children were present.
The father stated that during playtime, the boy was kept tied to the chair with teachers instead of playing with his peers. He added that the child continues to experience difficulty hearing and becomes distressed at the mention of using the washroom. When the father confronted the school administration, the director allegedly dismissed the incident.
On August 27, the boy underwent a medical examination at GTB Hospital. The medico-legal case report recorded physical assault, noting swelling on the child's left thigh and an abrasion near his left eye.
Police stated that appropriate legal action will proceed following a complete review of the CCTV footage and related evidence.
