Bengaluru: A 35-year-old former gym trainer allegedly kicked a five-year-old boy while the child was playing badminton with other kids on Old Post Office Road in Thyagarajanagar, south Bengaluru, on Dec 14.The accused, Ranjan M, also known as Ranjith, is a resident of the same locality. He reportedly quit his job two months ago after sustaining injuries in a bike accident. The boy, from Doddamavalli near Lalbagh, was visiting his maternal uncle’s house with his mother at the time of the assault around 1.15pm. The boy sustained an injury above his eyebrow along with scratches on his hands and feet. His relatives took him to a hospital for treatment. The boy’s mother filed a police complaint the same day and demanded action against Ranjan. Initially, the complaint was registered as a non-cognisable register, requiring further inquiry. It was later converted to an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Section 115(2) — voluntarily causing hurt. CCTV footage confirmed the incident was an intentional assault, the boy’s mother said. The woman alleged Ranjan recently assaulted other children, including trying to hit a girl with his bike and pulling the hair of a boy who was riding a bicycle. The next day, he followed a girl and hit her with his elbow. “We have collected footage and handed it over to police,” she added.Accused may be unstable: PoliceA senior police officer said Ranjan, who is unmarried, seems to be mentally unstable and is undergoing psychiatric treatment. “We are collecting details about his medical records. Ranjan has no cases against him in the past, but he tends to stay isolated and doesn’t talk much, even with family members,” the officer said. “During interrogation, he confessed to have assaulted several children, including the five-year-old boy, claiming he felt very distracted on hearing kids shouting while playing and upon seeing them on the road,” the officer said. Ranjan was arrested and released on station bail. His parents have taken him to Madurai for treatment.
