More than two years after a 10-month-old baby was assaulted at a playschool in Kharghar, the Alibaug sessions court on Tuesday convicted the maid of the school and sentenced her to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment. Meanwhile, the owners of the daycare were acquitted of the charges.
In November 2016, the CCTV footage of the baby getting beaten up by the caretaker at Purva daycare had triggered a debate on safety measures to be taken at daycares.
The maid, identified as Afsana Naseer Shaikh, has been found guilty under Sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 325 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the IPC. She was sentenced to 10 years under Section 307 and seven years under Section 325, along with a fine of ₹2,000.
Priyanka and her husband Praveen Nikam, the owners of Purva Playschool, who were booked under Section 75 (cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act, were acquitted.
Public prosecutor Ashwini Bandiwadekar-Patil said 10 witnesses, including the doctor under whom the baby was under treatment, pathologist, investigating officer, and other parents, were presented.
While the incident had happened on November 21, 2016, the girl’s first day at the school, an FIR was registered on November 23. The charge sheet of 135 pages was filed on February 7, 2017, and the trial started on February 8, 2019.
“Shaikh had brutally assaulted the child as she was not sleeping and continuously crying. She had also applied chilli powder and spicy vegetable dish into the eyes of the baby. The baby had suffered severe internal head injuries,” Ms. Bandiwadekar-Patil said.
Ruchita Sinha, mother of the child, called the verdict half victory. “We are happy about the conviction but upset about the acquittal of the daycare owners. They are equally responsible for what my child had to go through as they were the ones who handed her to the maid,” she said.