Gujarat: 8-month-old tortured by babysitter; woman detained for murder bid

Photo for representational purpose. Pic/ istock

An eight-month-old boy has been hospitalised in Surat city of Gujarat after being allegedly thrashed and tortured by a woman babysitter, whose act was captured on a CCTV camera installed at the child's house, police said on Saturday.

The woman, identified as Komal Tandelkar, has been detained on the charge of attempting to murder the baby, they said.

The boy, who is one of the twin babies of a working couple, has suffered brain haemorrhage as per the doctors of a city-based private hospital, where he has been admitted, inspector P L Chaudhari of Rander police station said.

Talking to reporters, ACP (G-division) Z R Desai said, "An FIR was registered against Tandelkar on the basis of the CCTV footage, in which she can be seen thrashing the baby in her lap for nearly one-and-a-half minute before twisting his ears and repeatedly throwing him against the bed. It appears to be a case of attempt to murder."

The babysitter was employed by the couple in September last year, four months after the birth of their twins, he said.

The baby's father, Mitesh Patel, had got the CCTV camera installed at his house only two days back after his neighbours complained of hearing the cries of the babies when they are under the care of the babysitter, Desai said.

"Yesterday, when Patel was away at work, he received a call from his mother, who informed him that one of the babies was crying and fainting. The child was immediately taken to a hospital. Later, when the family members checked the CCTV footage, they found the babysitter thrashing the child, twisting his ear and throwing him against the bed," Desai told reporters.

After that, Patel approached the police and lodged a complaint.

"As per the CCTV footage and on the basis of the complaint, it was clear that the woman knew what she was doing. During her interrogation, we realised that she appears to have some kind of frustration," he said.

The babysitter was booked under IPC sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt). She has been detained, but will be formally placed under arrest after the police get her Covid-19 test report, he said.

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