BARIPADA: A disturbing video clip of a seven-year-old boy being mercilessly kicked and beaten by his grandmother has sent shockwaves in the State. The brutality had taken place at Gangadharpur village in Balasore district on Friday. The child was rescued by District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) on Saturday after the video of the incident went viral on social media.
The whole incident was captured by a neighbour on his cell phone. The woman, Brundabati Chand, has been detained by Basta police for questioning. In the video, Brundabati is seen pushing her grandson to the ground and kicking him mercilessly. The minor boy was staying with his grandmother as his parents went to Mumbai in search of work a few months ago. His parents were supposed to send money every month for his maintenance. But Brundabati allegedly didn’t receive the money for the last two months.
Angry over the matter, she kicked the seven-year-old boy to settle scores. Though other family members were present during the incident, none came to the rescue of the helpless child. After the video of the incident went viral, Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy asked the DCPU to rescue the boy. A team from Baliapal Childline and Basta police rushed to the village and rescued the boy.
District Child Protection Officer Yuvak Majhi said the boy has been sent to a local hospital for a medical check-up. He would then be rehabilitated in a shelter home. Brundabati has been detained by Basta police following a complaint filed by the DCPU officials. Basta IIC Dhaneswar Sahu said necessary action will be taken against her under provisions of child rights protection laws.