Teen Caretaker in Noida Daycare Accused of Biting, Assaulting Toddler

A 15-month-old girl was reportedly assaulted by a 16-year-old caretaker at a daycare in Noida's Sector 137. The incident, which occurred on Monday, was discovered on Thursday when the child's mother noticed injuries and sought medical attention. CCTV footage revealed the caretaker slapping, pushing, and biting the toddler on her thighs, as well as hitting her with a plastic bat.

The family of the victim resides in a housing society in Sector 137. The father works in the IT department of a UK-based multinational company. The mother, who is a homemaker, enrolled their daughter in the daycare two months ago for learning and play activities. They had not encountered any issues until this incident came to light.

Daycare Incident Uncovered

While changing her daughter's clothes on Thursday, the mother noticed marks on each thigh. Initially suspecting a skin infection, she took her daughter to a nearby hospital. Doctors confirmed that the marks were bite marks. "When I confronted the caretaker and the daycare director, they misbehaved with me and verbally abused me," stated the mother in her FIR.

The police have taken the suspect into custody for questioning. According to Vinod Kumar Mishra, station house officer (SHO) of Sector 142, "The investigation is underway, and no arrest has been made yet." The daycare employs three teachers and one caretaker—the suspect—under director Charu's supervision.

Legal Action Initiated

A case was registered at Sector 142 police station under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 352 (assault or use of criminal force), and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The SHO mentioned that around 40 children are enrolled in this daycare facility, with no prior complaints of assault reported.

The caretaker allegedly told police that she bit the child without any reason while playing with her. However, a senior officer suggested that the toddler's continuous crying might have irritated her, leading to the assault. The caretaker is from Shahdara in Sector 142 and had been hired about two weeks before this incident.

Police continue to investigate this distressing case involving such a young child. The community remains concerned about safety measures at local daycares following this shocking revelation.