In Mumbai’s Malad East, an 8-year-old boy named Mohammad Hamza Khan was allegedly burnt on his right hand by his tuition teacher, Rajshree Rathod, after poor handwriting during a tuition session on July 28, 2025. Hamza’s sister discovered him crying with visible burn injuries and informed their family, who immediately took him to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivali for treatment.
After a complaint by Hamza’s father, Mustakeen Khan, the Kurar Police filed an FIR against Rathod under sections of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code related to cruelty towards minors. Rathod was arrested, and police investigations are ongoing. Community members and child rights activists have voiced concerns, calling for greater scrutiny and regulation of tuition centres.
Cruel Discipline or Criminal Assault? A Closer Look
The incident reportedly took place at Rathod’s home in the JP Dex Building, Malad East, where Hamza attended tuition sessions every evening from 7 pm to 9 pm. On July 28, Rathod called Hamza’s elder sister, asking her to pick him up early as he was crying uncontrollably. Upon arrival, found Hamza with severe burns on his right palm and injuries on his left hand.
Hamza’s father, Mustakeen Khan, expressed his outrage, describing the act as inhuman and abusive. Rathod’s response reportedly included verbal abuse directed at the family. The child’s ordeal has shocked parents and neighbours alike, prompting immediate demands for justice and stronger safeguards against corporal punishment in such informal educational environments.
Background and Ongoing Investigation
Mohammad Hamza Khan, a third-grade student at Lakshadham School, Goregaon, had been attending private tuition under Rathod’s guidance for several months. This recent incident has brought to light disturbing allegations from neighbours and other parents suggesting that Rathod had a history of using harsh and abusive disciplinary methods on children in her tuition classes.
After Mustakeen Khan filed a formal complaint, Kurar Police promptly registered an FIR citing relevant legal provisions under the Juvenile Justice Act as well as the Indian Penal Code for physical and mental cruelty towards a minor. Rathod has been arrested and is currently in police custody while inquiries continue.
The police are meticulously recording statements from the boy’s family, neighbours, and other potential witnesses to determine whether there have been additional cases of abuse. These efforts seek to protect children in the area and prevent such incidents from recurring.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
This grievous case paints a stark picture of the urgent need for kindness, empathy, and constructive disciplinary methods within educational spaces, especially those outside formal institutions. Punishment that instills fear or pain is not discipline — it is abuse. The psychological and physical well-being of children must be paramount, and such abuse breaks the fundamental trust between educators and families.
The Logical Indian strongly advocates for stricter oversight and regulation of private tuition centres to ensure a safe atmosphere where children can learn and grow without fear. It is also imperative for parents and communities to be vigilant and speak out against any form of abuse or mistreatment.
