A 35-year-old playschool attendant has been arrested in northeast Delhi after CCTV footage allegedly showed a three-year-old boy being physically assaulted and restrained at his playschool in Maujpur. The case came to light after the child’s parents noticed bruises on his face and arms, along with sudden behavioural changes, including fear of using the washroom and frequent crying at night.
On August 18, the child reportedly returned home vomiting and feeling dizzy, prompting his parents to seek medical help. Doctors reportedly found swelling around his ears, while a medico-legal examination at GTB Hospital documented abrasions on his face and arms.
When the family sought CCTV footage from the school, they allegedly found recordings from August 16 to 18 showing the child being pulled by his ears, kicked, slapped, repeatedly hit and allegedly tied to a chair for several hours.
Police have seized the CCTV recorder and registered a case under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Juvenile Justice Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO). The FIR names the playschool’s director, principal, teacher and attendant, with investigators examining the roles of the other accused.
The Directorate of Education has also ordered an inquiry into the incident. Police have said the investigation is continuing, while the allegations against the school staff remain subject to investigation and due legal process.
Bruises Trigger Parents’ Alarm
The case began with a series of warning signs that the child’s parents reportedly struggled to explain. According to their complaint, they noticed bruises on their three-year-old son’s face and arms and observed a marked change in his behaviour.
The child allegedly became frightened of using the washroom, cried frequently during the night and appeared increasingly distressed about attending the playschool. Their concerns intensified on August 18, when the child reportedly returned from school vomiting and feeling dizzy.
His parents took him to a paediatrician and later to an ENT specialist after noticing swelling around his eyes and ears. The doctor reportedly found significant swelling in the child’s ear canals and raised concerns that he may have suffered physical trauma.
Police later said the child underwent a medico-legal examination at GTB Hospital, where abrasions on his face and arms were documented. Seeking an explanation, the child’s father, an advocate, approached the playschool management and requested CCTV recordings.
The family alleges that the school initially cited technical problems in providing the footage and later asked them to pay ₹1,500 to access it. After obtaining the recordings, the parents allegedly saw footage that they believed explained their son’s injuries and behavioural changes.
The father told media outlets that footage from August 18 allegedly showed the child tied to a chair at around 9:40–9:45 am and restrained for several hours. He also alleged that recordings from August 17 showed a teacher hitting the child.
Police Probe School Staff
The CCTV recordings have become a central piece of evidence in the investigation. According to the complaint and police statements cited in media reports, footage allegedly shows the child being subjected to repeated physical mistreatment, including having his ears pulled, being kicked and struck.
Some reports also describe footage in which the child, seated on a small chair, is pushed across the floor before allegedly being slapped. The child’s mother reportedly reviewed recordings from August 16, 17 and 18 and found what the family believes were multiple instances of mistreatment.
Following the complaint, police visited the playschool and seized the digital video recorder for examination. A 35-year-old attendant has been arrested, while a teacher named in the case has reportedly been asked to join the investigation. The playschool’s director and principal have also been named, with police examining whether they had any direct or indirect role in the alleged incidents.
The FIR reportedly invokes provisions concerning causing hurt, wrongful restraint and cruelty towards a child, alongside provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and POCSO. The inclusion of POCSO follows an allegation raised by the family regarding inappropriate conduct; its inclusion in the FIR does not, by itself, establish that a sexual offence took place.
Police are expected to compare the CCTV footage with medical records and statements from the child’s parents and school staff. The Directorate of Education has separately ordered an inquiry, with authorities examining the circumstances surrounding the incident and the school’s child-safety practices.
The investigation will also have to establish whether the alleged acts were isolated incidents or part of repeated mistreatment and whether other staff members witnessed, participated in or failed to prevent them.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
A playschool is entrusted with some of the youngest and most vulnerable members of society, often before children are old enough to clearly explain what happens to them away from their parents. If the allegations in this case are substantiated, the reported violence against a three-year-old raises deeply troubling questions about supervision, accountability and the safeguards that should exist in every childcare environment.
At the same time, allegations must be established through a fair investigation and due process, rather than through social-media outrage or premature conclusions. The focus should remain on protecting the child, preserving evidence, holding anyone responsible accountable and ensuring that other children are not exposed to similar risks.
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