A four-year-old girl was allegedly confined to a toilet by a cleaning worker for being late to school in Chandra Layout here last Monday, her family members have alleged, adding that the school authorities “threatened” to expel the child if the police complaint was not withdrawn.
Vinutha (name changed) said she was shocked to find that her younger sister, an LKG student, was beaten, and confined to the toilet at the Lakshmi Ranganatha Vidya Samsthe School on 6th Cross, 9th ‘C’ Main Road, Chandra Layout. Vinutha studies in class 6 in the same school.
She had gone to the school to pick her sister when the incident came to light.
The child’s classmates told Vinutha that Chandrakala, a cleaner at the school, had beaten her sister. Vinutha then rescued her besides informing their mother, Sumithra.
The girl was treated at a private hospital for physical injury. “She is in a state of shock and crying inconsolably. Her face is swollen and teeth broken. She has refused to go to school after the incident,” Sumithra said. Following the incident, the family lodged a complaint with the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) as well as the Chandra Layout police station. Police officers claimed that Chandrakala had “confessed” to beating the child for arriving late.
Besides, she “confessed” to confining her to the school toilet, they added.
The Chairperson of CWC, H R Umesharadhya, said the block education officer had been asked to submit a report.
The family also accused the school authorities of “threatening” to issue both the girls their transfer certificates if the complaint was not withdrawn.