Four-year-old girl branded with hot iron at creche; two arrested
PUNE: A four-year-old girl suffered burns on various parts of her body after she was allegedly branded with a hot electric iron by the husband of a creche owner here for “refusing to have food on time” on Thursday.
Chetna Dudhal (owner of the creche) and her husband Balkrishna, both residents of Barathe chawl at Karvenagar, were arrested late on Friday night and charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code.
They were, however, released on bail on Saturday.The Warje Malwadi police have closed down the creche, which, they said, was being run illegally.The victim, Bhoomika Sahani, was discharged after treatment for burns on her body parts at the Sassoon hospital.
Bhoomika, who calls the couple Mama (uncle) and Mami (aunt), told media, “Mama took me in a room and inflicted burns on various parts of my body with the hot iron for not having food. Her mother, Anuja Sanjay Sahani of Bhosale chawl at Gosavi vasthi in Karvenagar, told this reporter that she works as a housemaid at Abhijit society and earns Rs 2,000 per month.
“Since I am a widow, I live with my aunt and leave my child at the creche from morning to evening and pay Rs 800 per month. Bhoomika is in a play group,” the mother said.“On October 1, I left for the day’s work after handing over Bhoomika to the Dudhal couple at 9.30 am.
When I went to collect her from the creche at 8 pm, the couple told me that Bhoomika had received burns as a hot iron accidentally fell on her while she was playing. The couple requested me not to disclose the incident to anyone,” Sahani said.
