In a shocking incident, an 8-year old boy was brutally beaten up by the staff of a Central government-run shelter home in Chalad, located in Kerala’s Kannur.
On Sunday, Immanuel, the victim, and his mother, Sundari, filed a complaint against Dreams Shelter Home in Chalad for assaulting and beating the child up. Dreams Shelter Home is established and run under the supervision of the Central government's Human Resource Development Ministry.
The incident occurred a week ago and a complaint was filed at the Kannur Town police station on June 16.
According to reports, Immanuel, a Class 3 student in the government UP school, was beaten up using cane and wires by the staff of the shelter home where he was staying. The brutal assault inflicted several major wounds on the boy's back and neck, and, as a result, he had to be hospitalised for days together.
"We have been hearing several cases of assault from this particular shelter home run by the Centre. The home caters to children from nomadic families and others who have been orphaned. The building lacks adequate security and complaints about the caretaker of the home beating up the boys have been received earlier as well. A similar case of assault was recorded by the Kannur police, from Dreams shelter home, in June," said Kannur town SI Sreejith Koderi.
The police also stated that Immanuel referred to a member of the staff who went by the name of Sujith in his complaint.
"We have registered a case against the school and have begun probing the incident," he added.
According to reports, the victim and his older brother were living in the shelter home and attending school. Their parents, who belong to a community of nomads and sold old wares for a living, could not afford to raise them at home as the facilities were inadequate in their rented house.
The victim and his brother were hospitalised following the incident. They have also been removed from the shelter home and have been brought back to their house in Kuttikad, Kuthuparamba. The duo has also reportedly discontinued school following the trauma of the incident.
According the SI, the boy and his mother first approached the Kuthuparamba police and the case was later transferred to Kannur police.