Just two days after the country was shocked over the video of a principal at a Hyderabad-based school mercilessly caning three visually challenged children, a private tutor at Lake Town in the northern fringes of Kolkata was caught torturing a three-and-half-year-old on CCTV.
The private tutor, Pooja Singh, was seen kicking the child in the chest at least twice, hurling him head first on the bed and punching him on the face indiscriminately even as the kid screamed and wanted to go back to his mother.
The child’s mother Shalini Agarwal said the tutor started teaching just three days ago. For two days the child refused to study with the new tutor and he was visibly scared. On the third day, she urged the parents to leave her alone with the child in a room.
"When she told me that she wanted to be left alone with my son, I allowed it. The tutor took the child to the other room and locked the door from inside. A few minutes later I heard my son crying," Shalini added.
Initially when the child cried, his mother thought that the tutor was scolding him and trying to teach him. But it was only when the child started screaming and his mother heard sounds of thumping from inside the room that she switched on the CCTV installed in the room.
The entire barbarism was caught on camera. The tutor was also seen stealing from the cupboard.
"When I confronted the tutor she apologised and urged me not to lodge a complaint with the police. Later her husband, Rohit Singh, came and threatened me that saying that if I approach the police 'bahut bura hoga' (the results won't be good for you)," Shalini added.
"When she told me that she wanted to be left alone with my son, I allowed it. The tutor took the child to the other room and locked the door from inside. A few minutes later I heard my son crying," Shalini added.
Initially when the child cried, his mother thought that the tutor was scolding him and trying to teach him. But it was only when the child started screaming and his mother heard sounds of thumping from inside the room that she switched on the CCTV installed in the room.
The entire barbarism was caught on camera. The tutor was also seen stealing from the cupboard.
"When I confronted the tutor she apologised and urged me not to lodge a complaint with the police. Later her husband, Rohit Singh, came and threatened me that saying that if I approach the police 'bahut bura hoga' (the results won't be good for you)," Shalini added.
Watch:CCTV captures Kolkata tutor kick, punch a 3-year-old
She called her husband who was about catch a flight to go abroad on a business trip. The father rushed back home from the airport.
On Wednesday, the parents lodged a police complaint accusing the private tutor of torturing their child, stealing and threatening also submitted the CCTV footage as evidence.
Police have started an investigation.
"We have received the complaint. Investigation is on. The accused would be soon arrested," said a senior officer of Bidhannagar police station.
"My son is too traumatized. Every time we discuss the incident or see the footage he gets agitated, anxious and nervous," Shalini told HT.
The child was taken to a hospital where doctors advised the parents not to admit him as it would aggravate his trauma and leave a permanent psychological scar.
Instead they advised that the child be taken back home and treated under the care of his parents.
City-based psychologists told HT the child should be given utmost care and treated very carefully as such incident might leave a permanent scar, keep him away from his studies and make him violent towards teachers.