Playschool teacher booked under JJ Act

The HAL police registered a case against a teacher on Saturday after the parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old boy complained that he was dragged into the classroom by the teacher.

Based on the complaint filed by the father, the police booked the teacher and the management of the school under section 23 (Whoever, having the actual charge of, or control over, a juvenile or the child, assaults, abandons, exposes or wilfully neglects the juvenile or causes or procures him to be assaulted, abandoned, exposed or neglected in a manner likely to cause such juvenile) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.

In his complaint, the father said the incident came to light when his son returned home from the playschool last Monday and complained that his classmate had beaten him up. Taking objection, the father of the child went to the school the next day with the complaint.

The management verified the CCTV cameras installed in the classroom and found the teacher dragging the child by his hand into the classroom to stop him from running away.

The complainant alleged that when he demanded action from the management, they only took an apology from the teacher, who stated that the child was naughty and difficult to manage.

Irked by the response of the management, the father filed a complaint with the HAL police seeking action against the playschool. The father told

The Hindu that the teacher had behaved this way thrice before. “My son complained of pain in the hand because of the rough handling and he is under medication,” he said.

The police obtained the CCTV footage and found nothing objectionable. “The teacher was found pulling the child by his hand and getting him inside the classroom. As there was an FIR filed, we will investigate and submit a report to the court,” a senior police officer said.