Five caregivers at a daycare centre operating inside Capgemini's Brookefield campus in Bengaluru have been booked after videos surfaced showing toddlers being locked inside washing machines, forced into pipes filled with water, and sprayed with a toilet jet spray as a form of punishment.
The videos of the act have gone viral on social media platforms.
The FIR and the accused
The FIR was registered on June 29 at the HAL police station following a complaint by Tilakesh Kumar, a legal-cum-probation officer with the district child protection unit, under charges of criminal intimidation and cruelty to children.
The HAL police booked the five accused — Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu and Bindu — under the Juvenile Justice Act and Section 351 (act with criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, reported The Indian Express.
How the abuse came to light
The incident reportedly came to light on June 25, when the complainant learned that the five women, who had been entrusted with the care of toddlers aged two to three years at the facility, allegedly subjected them to physical assault and mental harassment.
This reportedly included locking crying children inside washing machines to frighten them, forcing them into narrow pipes filled with water and leaving them there, stuffing them into bathroom spaces, and hosing them down with toilet jet sprays.
The Times of India reported that the complaint was filed after a child helpline official received four videos of the alleged ill-treatment, and that according to police sources, the footage had been recorded by a staffer whose friend had been fired from the centre the previous month.
Police response
"The toddlers belonged to professionals working at the campus who leave their children at the facility while on duty. Parents and officials were horrified to see the manner in which the care staff was handling these toddlers," a police officer said.
Saidulu Adavath, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Whitefield Division), confirmed the case had been registered, saying, "We have initiated an investigation. Notices will be served to the individuals responsible, and they will be summoned for interrogation."
A senior police officer reportedly said notices would be issued to the five women directing them to appear for questioning, and that officers inspected the premises and collected CCTV footage from the centre on Wednesday.
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The officer added that police also planned to ask parents and guardians of the toddlers whether they had noticed any unnatural activity at the centre or received complaints of ill-treatment from their children.
The case has separately been flagged before the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.
Capgemini's response
Capgemini confirmed it has temporarily shut the daycare facility following the allegations. In a statement, the company said: "Capgemini's foremost priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees and their families. We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and assisting them in their efforts to establish the facts. As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily closing the Bengaluru on-campus daycare facility," NDTV reported.
The allegations have triggered outrage among parents and raised fresh concerns over the safety and oversight of childcare facilities operating inside corporate campuses.
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