Nanny with Vashi day care centre booked for assaulting 16-month-old boy

“The management had assured us that they would provide all possible support to my son. But for the last two weeks, he had remained anxious and unhappy. On February 7, we checked the CCTV footage of the day, and we were shocked by what we saw,” Reshma said in her complaint

The police have booked a nanny associated with a day care centre in Vashi for allegedly slapping and shoving a 16-month-old boy last week. The management has terminated the woman’s service.

“When my son tried to fetch the spoon from one of the plates, the nanny snatched the spoon and slapped him on the face. She then shoved my son away from the table and he could be seen shaken by the assault. No one from the centre came to console him or reprimand the nanny for her behaviour,” the mother said.

Koparkhairne residents Reshma Raju and Sibin Benny had on November 7, 2022, enrolled their son, Adam Reshma Sibin, with Smart Tots.

“The management had assured us that they would provide all possible support to my son. But for the last two weeks, he had remained anxious and unhappy. On February 7, we checked the CCTV footage of the day, and we were shocked by what we saw,” Reshma said in her complaint.

At 11.25 am, the boy was seen seated at the dining table and the nanny, while talking to a staff member, placed two food plates near him, she said. “When my son tried to fetch the spoon from one of the plates, the nanny snatched the spoon and slapped him on the face. She then shoved my son away from the table and he could be seen shaken by the assault. No one from the centre came to console him or reprimand the nanny for her behaviour,” the mother said.

On the same day, the parents complained to the day care centre’s owner and by the evening, the nanny was sacked from the job. The couple too approached the police the next day to file a complaint but was made to file a non-cognisable report. Not satisfied, the duo raised the issue with the city police commissioner and an FIR was registered at Vashi police station on Wednesday.

“We want the matter to be probed thoroughly as this may not be the only incident. In November the nanny was caught on camera asking a child to hit another child with a ruler. We had then complained to the management as well,” Reshma said.

A case has been registered against the nanny, Neelam Heeralal Singh, under section 75 and 86 (punishment for cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015 and under section 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt) of Indian Penal Code.

The day care centre’s owner, Sheela James, told HT that even though the nanny had been known to her for the last 10 years, she terminated her service as she did not tolerate physical disciplining methods.

“It is exactly for this reason that parents have been given access to live streaming of CCTVs. The parents’ concern is understandable, but the child was merely stopped from eating from the plate which was hot. In fact, minutes later, the child could be seen once again snuggling up to the nanny,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, the parents have removed their son from the centre.