The staff and a teacher of an Andheri-based preschool were booked on Tuesday, after a parent of a two-year-old girl complained that her daughter was allegedly assaulted by them.

“We have registered a case and are investigating it further,” said Shailesh Pasalwad, senior police inspector, Oshiwara police station, adding that no arrest has been made yet.

The accused have been booked under Section 23 (punishment for cruelty to juvenile or child) of The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000.

“Over the past few weeks, my daughter would come home upset. When I tried asking her about school one day, she said that she was scared of a school staff as she would beat her. A few days later, parents of other students also said that their children came home with similar complaints, after which we decided to complain to the school,” said the girl’s mother in her complaint to the police.

The girl’s mother alleged that despite complaining to the school’s authorities, the management “did not take any substantial action in the case.”

However, an official from the preschool refuted the allegations. “We have suspended the didi (helper) and the teacher named in the incident without even an enquiry. We have taken the complaint very seriously. The bathroom does not have any latch from inside so it cannot be closed from inside. In addition, CCTVs are also monitored from the head office of the school. We have also checked the video footage for the last 21 days and we are ready to show the footage to the parents,” the official said.

The parent, however, demanded a thorough investigation in the case. “It is not about my child or a few other children. If the school does not take a strict stand against the accused, it will send a wrong message,” she said.