'He's afraid, can't stop crying': Father recounts trauma of 3-year-old 'assaulted' at Delhi day care

A three-year-old boy allegedly assaulted at a day care centre in Northeast Delhi's Maujpur area is struggling to recover from the trauma, with his father saying the child now fears being sent back to school and even anticipates being hit at home.

The alleged incident came to light after the boy's parents accessed CCTV footage from the facility. The footage allegedly showed a teacher pushing and slapping the child, while another woman, believed to be a caretaker, was seen violently shaking him.

Delhi Police has registered a case under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Four people have been named as accused — school director Sunita Bansal, principal Neelam, and teachers Simran and Pooja. A caretaker has been arrested, police said.

Father says child remains traumatised

Speaking to NDTV in a video interview, the boy's father said his son's behaviour had changed drastically after the alleged assault.

"He cries every morning when he wakes up. He thinks we will send him to school, he can't stop crying. He is in a very bad condition. He is anxious and cries non-stop. I don't know how long it will take him to come out of this trauma," the father told NDTV.

The child is also undergoing treatment. His father said his eardrums remain inflamed and that he has been unable to undergo a CT scan because he is frightened by the sound of the machine.

"I took him to the doctor again yesterday; the doctor said his eardrums are still inflamed. The swelling just isn't going down. He is unable to cope with the pain. And I haven't been able to get the CT scan done as he is terrified of the noises that the machine makes," he told NDTV.

CCTV allegedly shows repeated assault

The father said the problem had continued for several days. On August 18, the child reportedly returned home after vomiting and feeling dizzy. Doctors later advised the family to consult an ENT specialist.

The family subsequently reviewed the CCTV footage, which allegedly showed the child being tied to a chair with an apron and repeatedly beaten.

"From around 9:45 am until 12:30 pm, they kept my child tied up with an apron and repeatedly beat him while pulling his ears. Whenever he tried to move forward from his chair, the caretaker would come and hit him; when he asked the teacher to untie him, she would hit him instead and make him sit back down. He would then manage to undo the apron, only for the teacher to tie him up again.

After that, he was left tied up all alone - neither the teacher nor the caretaker was in the room. He tried to free himself, but the caretaker returned and beat him so brutally that you wouldn't even be able to bear watching the video of it," the father told NDTV.

Father alleges school refused responsibility

The father also alleged that the school did not accept responsibility after the family raised concerns.

"She didn't respond properly and claimed that our child was in the wrong. My child is not seen misbehaving in any of the footage. Their teacher is fine for them, and their staff is absolutely fine for them; however, our child was the wrong fit for them - that is exactly what they told me," he said.

He further said the alleged abuse has left the child fearful even around his own family.

"He is so terrified that even when we ask him to recite '123' or 'ABCD' - and if he happens to forget a little - he immediately holds out his hands and touches his ears, anticipating a beating. He is so afraid of us, fearing that if he makes a mistake, everyone will hit him; he has become deeply traumatised," the father told NDTV.