Mumbai: The mother of a five-year-old boy from Govandi has alleged that her son was brutally abused by his seniors at a madrasa in Malegaon, according to a report in Midday. The child was taken to a hospital in Sion on Wednesday; his body was covered with burn marks and his face was badly bruised and swollen. The hospital authorities have filed a medico-legal case.
The boy’s mother said that she received a call from the madrasa and was informed that her son had met with an accident. The mother who is a BMC cleaner, rushed to Malegaon only to find a completely different story. Her elder son, who is seven, told her that a senior boy along with his friends had fetched his brother from the room and repeatedly abused him for hours.
"My son has cigarette burn marks on the chest, leg and lower back. My elder son also said that the seniors would hit my son with the back of a knife. He is so scared that he is unable to speak or eat. When my elder son tried to protest, he was threatened with a similar treatment," the mother said.
After the boy was hospitalised his medical report confirmed the bruises on the boy’s chest to be burn marks, he had a swelling on the left cheek and right eye, as well as a swollen ear.
The victim’s mother said she had admitted her sons in the madrasa this August, hoping that it would be a safe place where they would receive good care and education. "I work long hours and am too poor to be able to support them. The area we live in isn't safe, and my sons were playing in drains and gutters. I got them admitted to the madrasa to keep them safe. Little did I know that I would get them back in this condition in just a month," she said.
While the teachers at the madrassa were unavailable for comment, the security guard maintains that the boy met with an accident, rubbishing the claims of the victim.
"He had a fall, and last week, was rammed by a car. We alerted his mother but she came here and started yelling and accusing us of ill-treating the boy. If she is so worried, she shouldn't have left a kid here," the guard said.
