The Egmore police are actively investigating a distressing complaint made by Faiz Nawaz, a resident of Thousand Lights, Chennai, alleging that his three-year-old child was subjected to mistreatment at a private speech therapy center in the city. The child had been receiving speech therapy at the center for over six months.
However, when Nawaz’s father, Amjad Khan, went to pick up the child last Thursday, he was horrified to discover the toddler crying with his hands and legs tied up. Following this deeply concerning incident, Nawaz filed a complaint against three individuals associated with the speech therapy center.
In light of this and similar incidents, civil society organizations, including the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), have been advocating for the implementation of regulations to monitor therapy centers in the state, akin to the regulations in place in Kerala. Such measures aim to protect persons with disabilities from all forms of abuse, violence, and exploitation, as mandated by the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act.