Mumbai: Borivli police book 68-year-old who beat up child for playing

CCTV cameras installed in the housing society captured the assault against the boy who had allegedly asked the accused to let him go but the latter continued shouting at him

A Borivli resident has been accused of assaulting an eight-year-old child to the extent that the child has become scared of stepping outside the house. The Borivli police on Saturday registered an FIR against the resident in the incident from November.

This is the third instance wherein violence and mistreatment - including assault, slapping, and verbal abuse - against children has led to FIRs by Mumbai police against individuals. The assaults have led to traumatised children who consequently refuse to leave the house out of fear of further abuse or mistreatment.

In the recent incident, the Borivli police registered an FIR against the 68-year-old man accused of slapping, beating, and abusing the child. The child, a Std III student, resides with his parents in Borivli West. The accused is a resident of the same housing society as the boy.

According to the parents' complaint to the police, the child has been experiencing depression and has been diagnosed with agoraphobia. The Borivli police have started investigating the matter. Just a few days before this case, the Borivli police had registered another FIR against an individual who slapped a four-year-old in a play zone.

Why was child assaulted?

According to Borivli police, the incident involving the eight-year-old boy occurred on November 11 while he was playing with friends in the housing society's compound. Irritated by the children running around, the accused told them to play elsewhere. Subsequently, the accused grabbed and beat up the boy. The incident was captured by CCTV cameras in the society.

The child's father, employed at a private bank, received a call from his wife about the incident while he was at work. Upon reaching home, the father spoke with his son, who narrated the incident. The accused justified his actions, claiming misbehaviour by the child. The accused's son apologised to the child's father, who then discovered the severity of the incident when he saw the CCTV footage.

Medical evaluation

The CCTV footage shows the accused physically assaulting the child, causing fear and distress. The scared child apologised and begged to be let go but the accused continued to shout at him. The incident traumatised the child to such an extent that he became reluctant to venture outside to play.

The child's family then consulted their family doctor, Dr Shilpa Sangore, who recommended seeking the expertise of Dr Kinnari Doshi, a neuropsychiatrist. Subsequently, on November 26, Dr Doshi diagnosed the child with agoraphobia, a condition characterised by a fear of situations where escape might be difficult or help may not be readily available.

The CCTV footage and the mental health diagnosis prompted the family to register an FIR against the man. Senior Police Inspector Ninad Sawant of Borivli police told mid-day, "We checked CCTV footage of the society and found the child was beaten and scolded by the accused. We registered the FIR against the accused and gave notice to him to be present for the probe."

Doctor's view

Neuropsychiatrist Dr Doshi, who treated the child, told mid-day, "The child has been diagnosed with adjustment disorder which can turn into agoraphobia. It is mostly found in children and women. In certain cases, we give psychotherapy. If anxiety continues for a long time, we give medicines along with psychotherapy. In certain cases, the child thinks that they are trapped somewhere without any escape route. In this case, the child is suffering because he was beaten and scolded loudly, which impacted his mind. We request parents that if their child is behaving differently, they must consult a psychiatrist to diagnose it. It will help the child come out of the trauma at the earliest."

Previous cases

>> A man allegedly slapped a four-year-old boy in the play zone at Humpty Jumpty located at Moksh Plaza, Borivli West. The boy and a four-year-old girl got into a fight in the play zone over a toy. Noticing the fight, the girl's father entered the play zone and slapped the boy. The boy's mother, who works in the police department, dragged the accused to Borivli police and registered an FIR. The incident affected the child negatively and he is scared of stepping out of the house alone.

>> A 60-year-old man assaulted a seven-year-old girl, grabbed her ears and threatened her with a small knife. A complaint naming the man, Mirza Beg, was submitted to Oshiwara police and an FIR was subsequently registered.

Nov 11
Day incident took place