Mumbai: An FIR has been registered against a teacher from Uudaan Montessori Preschool and Day Care, along with four others, including Principal Dr. Jyoti Bawddekar, for a teacher allegedly manhandling a 3-year-old child. The incident occurred during school hours on October 17 when the child reportedly refused to eat, leading to the teacher allegedly slapping the child. The FIR was lodged at Kapurbawdi Police Station.
According to the FIR, which FPJ has accessed, the parents of the child were informed by another teacher at the school that their child had been slapped by Sabita Fernandes, one of the teachers. Upon taking the child home, the parents noticed the child was unusually quiet and withdrawn.
Concerned about their child’s disturbed state, the parents suspected there was more to the incident than they had been told. When they contacted the principal, Dr. Jyoti Bawddekar, she confirmed the slap and informed them that Fernandes had been terminated on the day of the incident.
Seeking clarity, the parents requested access to the school’s CCTV footage, but were repeatedly delayed. After persistent efforts, the child’s mother was finally allowed to view the footage, which allegedly showed the manhandling. The mother discreetly recorded the video on her phone, which FPJ has obtained.
Advocate Arvind Awasarmol, representing the family, successfully helped them file an FIR against the school and the involved staff members. Charges have been filed under multiple sections, including Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, for cruelty to children, and various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for assault and voluntarily causing harm.
When contacted by FPJ, Dr. Jyoti Bawddekar, the principal, stated that she was in London attending a workshop on educational leadership when the incident took place. She claimed that the school had terminated the accused teacher immediately and voluntarily reported the incident to the police, including providing CCTV footage. “We fail to understand why the parents approached the police later, instead of on the day of the incident,” Dr. Bawddekar added.
The investigation is ongoing as police examine the evidence, including the CCTV footage provided by the school and the parents’ video recording of the alleged abuse.
