The FIR was registered only after Shakuntala Dhull, chairperson, CWC, intervened in the matter.
A female teacher of a private playschool in Sector 48, Gurgaon was booked for allegedly beating a three-year-old student in April for unknown reasons.
Badshahpur police filed an FIR against the teacher on Wednesday evening under Section 323 (assault) of the Indian Penal code and the Juvenile Justice Act after Shakuntala Dhull, chairperson, CWC, wrote to the Badshahpur police seeking prompt action in the matter.
Dhull had earlier demanded that a case be registered against the accused teacher and school management for their negligence. The CWC has also formed a committee, comprising four members, who will visit the school again on Thursday and submit a detailed report on the measures taken by the school’s management to ensure the safety of children.
The minor’s family said that when they confronted the school management on the matter, they claimed that the child fought with a fellow student and was injured during the scuffle. The boy sustained bruises on the chin, jaw line, upper lip and face, said a member of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC).
“I will send a notice to the management of the playschool on Thursday seeking all the details and CCTV footage of the incident. I will also ask members of the management to appear in person. They need to explain why they did not take action against the (accused) teacher and why the complaint filed by the child’s parents was not addressed,” Dhull said.
The boy’s father, who lodged a complaint against the teacher, said that he handed over the boy’s medical report to the police. However, he claimed the police hadn’t taken any action even a month after the complaint was filed.
He said he was later asked to visit the CWC and it was only after the CWC members intervened, that the police took action.
“I had gone to pick my son from the school around 6.30 pm on April 6 and was shocked to see his swollen face. He also had bruises all over his face and neck apart from a cut on his upper lip. When I asked the teacher about his injuries, she answered that he had fought with a fellow student. I took her version of events to be true and returned home,” the father said.
He said the child has been going to the playschool for the last two years. However, he is highly traumatised now and has not attended school since the incident.
“When I asked my son why he hit his friend in the school, he told me the real story. He said that he didn’t have a fight with any student and instead the teacher had punched him. I called up my wife and told her what happened,” the father said.
The parents said the minor had levelled similar allegations against the same teacher in January. However, his injuries were of a minor nature at that time.
They claimed they visited the school and requested the principal to show the CCTV footage of the incident. They said although she initially refused to share the footage, they were later shown parts of it which couldn’t throw much light on what happened.
“There is a mobile phone application by virtue of which I can get the live screening of the incidents taking place at the school. I saw the teacher scolding him at 4.45 pm. She then took him on his lap and went to a portion of the classroom which isn’t covered by the camera. When my husband informed what happened, I realised that the teacher took my son to a blind spot to inflict bodily harm on him. I called up the school authorities, but they said he had a tiff with a colleague and is perfectly fine,” the minor’s mother said.
CWC chairperson Dhull and Nisha Saini, legal and probation officer of District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) visited the school on Tuesday and asked the authorities to provide the CCTV footage.
“The school should have immediately informed the parents and first-aid should have been given to the child. If the child is not safe in school, then the management and the teachers should be held accountable,” Saini said.
Jasmeet Kaur, the school’s director, said, “We have handed over the CCTV footage and other details related to the case to the police and are cooperating in the investigation.”
“During preliminary investigation, we found that the teacher was responsible for the injuries to the child. We have collected enough evidence to corroborate the charges against her,” inspector Vishnu Prasad, station house officer, Badshahpur police station, said.
