KAKINADA: In a shocking incident, an ayah of an Anganwadi centre at Timmapuram in Tuni rural mandal branded a 3-year-old boy with a hot steel spatula on his mouth on Thursday. The incident came to light on Friday when the boy’s parents took up the matter with the Anganwadi centre staff after his lips got swollen.
According to information, Sheikh Shafiq was playing at the Anganwadi centre making noise even as ayah Sravani asked him to keep quiet. She got angry when Shafiq continued to make noise and allegedly took a hot spatula from a boiling milk vessel and branded Shafiq with it.
When the boy’s lips got swollen, his parents took him to the Anganwadi centre and demanded an explanation from the staff and ayah. The ayah initially tried to convince the parents that she only tried to warn the boy by showing the steel spatula, but it accidentally touched his lips.
When the parents confronted her, the ayah urged them not to report the matter to the higher-ups by tendering an apology for the incident. Women and Child Welfare Department Project Director GV Satyavani, who came to know about the incident, directed Tuni Rural Mandal Cluster Development Project Officer Padmavati to submit a report on the matter.
Satyavani told The New Indian Express that disciplinary action would be taken against the ayah for her failure to look after the children with care and affection. However, no police complaint has been made by the boy’s parents against the ayah.