A court in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, has delivered a stern three-year prison sentence to a domestic helper. The woman was found guilty of brutally assaulting, starving, and traumatizing a two-year-old boy left in her care. The entire ordeal was captured on home CCTV cameras installed by the child's alarmed parents.
Judge Details a Disturbing Pattern of Cruelty
Additional Sessions Judge Archana Naidu's judgment paints a deeply disturbing picture of cruelty behind closed doors. The case involved a middle-class household where both parents held government jobs. They relied heavily on a caregiver to look after their only child while they worked.
Court records identify the parents as Mukesh Vishwakarma, a junior engineer with the MP Electricity Board, and his wife Sonali Sharma, who worked at the district court. They would leave home around 10 am each day, entrusting their young son Manvik to their domestic help, Rajni Chaudhary Ahirwar. They paid her a monthly salary of Rs 5,000 for this duty.
A Child's Silent Suffering Raises Alarm
Over several months, the parents noticed troubling changes in their son. The once-vibrant toddler grew unusually quiet. He stopped laughing, playing, and eating normally. He also began falling ill frequently. A medical examination later revealed he had an intestinal infection.
Initially, the parents accepted the domestic helper's assurances that she was feeding the child properly. However, their suspicions grew as the boy's condition continued to deteriorate. Fear and instinct finally prompted them to take decisive action.
CCTV Footage Reveals Shocking Brutality
The couple installed CCTV cameras inside their home. The footage they later reviewed left them utterly shaken. It showed Rajni engaging in acts of shocking brutality against the defenseless child.
The video evidence depicted her dragging the boy by his hair, punching him in the stomach, and throttling him. She was also seen striking him with a pointed comb. Perhaps most chillingly, the prosecution informed the court that she routinely starved the toddler.
Rajni consumed the child's designated food—fruits, milk, and porridge—herself. She fed the boy barely a spoonful, sometimes even giving him her own leftover food. This neglect occurred despite her habit of chewing gutkha and tobacco.
Confrontation, Complaint, and Conviction
"When confronted with the footage, the accused fell silent," the prosecution told the court. The parents then filed a formal written complaint at the Madan Mahal police station on June 13, 2022. They submitted the damning CCTV footage stored on pen drives and DVDs, along with the child's medical records, as evidence.
The court found Rajni Chaudhary Ahirwar guilty under two counts of Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. It awarded a three-year prison sentence, firmly refusing to show any leniency in the matter.
Court Highlights the Broader Social Betrayal
In its observations, the court underscored the larger social impact of this crime. Judge Archana Naidu noted that in contemporary society, working women from all sections depend on caregivers for their children. This relationship is fundamentally built on trust.
"Such acts of cruelty break that trust not just of one family but in society at large," the judge stated. The court emphasized that the physical and mental pain inflicted on a helpless child is a terrifying experience. It may leave a lifelong imprint on his young mind.
"This crime is not deserving of any sympathy," the court firmly observed, justifying its decision for a strict sentence. The ruling serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities within caregiving relationships and the legal consequences for betraying that sacred duty.
