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A disturbing video of a woman brutally assaulting a four-year-old girl has emerged online, triggering widespread outrage. The video, captured by a bystander, shows Lakshmi, a former staff member of a private school near Hyderabad, slapping the child and banging her head against the floor.
According to the police, the victim’s mother, Santoshi, and Lakshmi were former colleagues. Santoshi has been working at Poornima School in Shapur Nagar, Jeedimetla, as an ayah for the past six months, and her daughter studied in nursery at the same school. Police are investigating whether Lakshmi’s assault on the child was motivated by a grudge against Santoshi.
The incident reportedly occurred on the school premises on Saturday, November 29. Balanagar Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Naresh Reddy told the media that Lakshmi was taking the child to the restroom in the afternoon when she assaulted her.
“A neighbour filmed a video, which the child’s mother saw, following which she filed a complaint. The child was taken to a private hospital and is now stable,” he said.
According to Santoshi, when she showed the video to the school management, they dismissed her concerns by saying she was “making a big deal out of a small issue.”
“My daughter was crying in pain all night,” Santoshi said, adding that she then approached the police.
The ACP said that the incident has been reported to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), and that action will be taken against both Lakshmi and the school management.
Police have registered an FIR under Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which deals with punishment for cruelty to a child, and Section 118 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which deals with voluntarily causing hurt.