 "The parents also allege that despite their daughter’s cries, the daycare owner, Charu, made no attempt to help or protect her. Image for Representation")
A 15-month-old girl was brutally assaulted by a nanny at a daycare in Noida’s Sector 137, in an incident that has left parents across the city horrified and questioning the safety of childcare facilities.
The assault, which was caught on CCTV, shows the toddler being slapped, bitten, dropped to the ground twice or thrice, and beaten with a plastic bat. Shockingly, the daycare owner was allegedly present but did nothing to intervene.
Here’s what happened
The shocking assault at Noida daycare
Monica and Sandeep Kumar, parents of the 15-month-old girl, had been sending their daughter to the daycare in Sector 137 since May 21.
Sandeep, who works in the IT department of a UK-based multinational company, had made sure to check the safety arrangements himself before enrolling her, including confirming that five CCTV cameras were installed across the premises.
The daycare, run by the residents’ association, is one of many such facilities operating in residential complexes across Delhi NCR. Charu, the daycare’s owner, personally assured the couple of their child’s safety.
“Before sending our daughter, we had checked all safety measures at the daycare. There were five CCTV cameras in all rooms, the hall, and kitchen areas. The owner assured us during admission that it’s the daycare’s responsibility to keep every child safe,” Sandeep told The Times of India.
But on Monday, when Monica went to pick up her daughter, something felt wrong. The toddler was crying uncontrollably and seemed unusually distressed. Later, while changing her clothes, Monica spotted circular marks on both of her thighs.
“My wife asked the teachers about the bite marks, but was told she had some infection from home. She ran to a doctor immediately. The doctor confirmed it wasn’t an infection, but marks of human teeth. He also told my wife that it appeared our daughter had been tortured because she was visibly scared. My wife came home and informed me. I left office without any delay,” Sandeep recalled.
When they confronted the daycare owner, she flatly denied that any abuse had occurred. The couple requested CCTV footage to verify what had happened, but getting access proved to be an uphill battle.
According to The Times of India, the staff claimed there were “technical issues,” missing applications, and even snapped wires that delayed them from handing over the footage. The parents say the daycare kept stalling for four days until police intervened on Thursday.
When the couple finally saw the recordings, they were horrified. The footage showed the attendant, Sonali, a teenager from Shahdara village, mercilessly punching the child, pushing her off a swing, dropping her onto the floor, beating her with a plastic bat, and even inserting a pencil into her mouth.
The parents also allege that despite their daughter’s cries, the daycare head, Charu, made no attempt to help or protect her. Instead, they claim both the maid and the owner hurled abusive language and issued threats when confronted.
What’s next?
Following the parents’ complaint, police from Noida’s Sector-142 station registered a case, conducted a medical examination of the toddler, and arrested the accused maid.
Charges have been filed under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
In a disturbing twist, Sandeep told NDTV that another family in the same residential complex has now come forward, claiming their child also suffered abuse at the daycare. They, too, plan to file a police complaint.
“I want action against the daycare owner and the attendant so that such an incident does not happen with another child. These were very tough days. I could not go to work. My wife could not sleep,” Sandeep said, describing the emotional toll of the ordeal.
With input from agencies