A tuition teacher in Ghatkopar has been booked for allegedly hitting a 13-year-old girl student for not completing her Diwali vacation homework. The incident took place on October 25 at a private coaching centre located in Gurunanak Nagar, Ghatkopar West.
According to the police, the teacher, identified as Lakshmi Deepak Khadka, allegedly hit the Std VIII student with a wooden stick, leaving her injured. After the class, the father of the girl observed marks on her hand, and when asked, she narrated the incident. Following this, he approached the Ghatkopar police station and got an FIR registered against the tutor.
“The father was fuming with rage and seemed quite upset about her daughter being hit,” a police officer said. “A case has been registered under Section 118(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which deals with cruelty to a child by any person having the care or charge of that child,” explained a senior police officer.
Senior police officer Satish Jadhav said that a notice has been issued to the teacher under the due provisions of law, and she will soon be called in for questioning. “We have recorded the girl’s statement and are in the process of examining other students and staff members who were present at the time of the incident,” said the officer, adding, “As far as we know now, the girl was hit twice on her hand, and it left a deep mark.”
Speaking on the incident, Dr Dayal Mirchandani, psychiatrist and director of the Behavioural Science Network, said, “When it comes to learning, we still see that reward systems and encouragement work better than punishments.”
Dr Swati Popat Vats, educationist and president of the Early Childhood Association, said, “If one activates fear in a child’s brain, they may end up harming a child’s relationship with learning.” Since private tuitions do not have regulations, unlike schools, educationists even encourage parents to sign a no physical or mental abuse policy with the tutor.
