BENGALURU: A 52-year-old cook, working at a Balakiyara Bala Mandira (BBM) on the outskirts of the city, has landed in trouble after allegedly branding a three-year-old girl with a hot steel spatula. The jurisdictional police registered a case under the Juvenile Justice Act after the Bala Mandira superintendent filed a complaint. The victim has been lodged at the Bala Mandira as her father is an alcoholic and her mother has deserted her.
She reportedly had the habit scrapping the walls and eating cement debris. Trying to scare her, the cook, Mahadevamma from Kasaba, reportedly branded her, inflicting burns. Lilavathi, who is the supervisor at the facility, said the children are fond of the cook, and her act must be accidental.
“The cook, after taking the child to the kitchen, might have tried to scare her to stop her from eating cement. As she was cooking at the same time, she might have accidentally touched the girl with the hot spatula,” said Lilavathi, who was on leave due to a medical emergency on the day of the incident. The other staff later told her about the incident.
“Before the incident occurred, some girls saw the three-year-old child eating cement and informed the staff,” Lilavathi said. “The cook has not been arrested. We learnt that it was not a deliberate act,” said a police officer. A case under Section 75 of the JJ Act of 2015 and voluntarily causing injury by dangerous weapons or means (IPC 324) has been registered against the cook.