NEW DELHI: A three-and-a-half-year-old boy was allegedly subjected to physical and sexual abuse at a private playschool in northeast Delhi’s Maujpur, with CCTV footage purportedly showing him being tied to a chair, kicked and pulled by his ears. Police have arrested a caretaker and booked the school’s director, principal, teacher and caretaker.The child’s father, Navneet Chaudhary, said his son had been distressed for several days before his condition suddenly worsened on August 18.“Suddenly, on August 18, my son came home from school. As soon as he got home, he started vomiting and felt dizzy. We immediately took him to a paediatrician, who noticed that his eyes were swollen and advised us to consult an ENT specialist,” Chaudhary told news agency ANI.According to the father, the ENT specialist found that the child’s eardrums were swollen and appeared close to rupturing. The family subsequently approached the school management and sought access to its CCTV footage.Chaudhary alleged that the school initially responded rudely and that the management claimed the CCTV system was not functioning. The FIR further alleges that the family was later asked to pay Rs 1,500 to access the recordings.After obtaining the footage, the family allegedly found their son being assaulted inside a classroom. According to the complaint, the child was tied to a chair for hours, repeatedly hit and kicked, and had his ears pulled violently. The footage also allegedly showed his food being taken away before he could eat.“I hold the management, the owners and the principal responsible as well. When you monitor the CCTV footage daily, don’t you have a duty to actually look at what is happening to the children?” the father said.The complaint also alleges inappropriate touching of the child, prompting police to invoke provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.The FIR was lodged after the parents noticed a marked change in their son’s behaviour. The child had reportedly been unable to sleep properly for several days, was scared of going to the toilet and would cry inconsolably when asked to go to school.The child was taken to a hospital, where a medico-legal examination reportedly noted swelling on his left thigh and an abrasion near his left eye. Police are examining the CCTV footage and DVR as part of the investigation.The case has been registered at Jafrabad police station under sections 115 (voluntarily causing hurt), 126 (wrongful restraint) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Sections 75 and 82 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 12 of the POCSO Act.The Directorate of Education (DoE) has also ordered an inquiry into the incident. An official said a committee headed by the additional director of education/regional director of education (East) would investigate the allegations in accordance with POCSO guidelines and submit its report within two days.The school owner said an investigation was underway and that all relevant matters had been handed over to the police. The owner said the caretaker and teacher had been permanently removed from the school and that the management was cooperating with the investigation. The principal could not be reached for comment.The child’s father has demanded action against all those responsible, including the school management. “The caretaker involved has been arrested, but the other teachers are not available; they have fled or absconded. Regardless, I want action to be taken as soon as possible,” he told ANI.
