IT giant Capgemini shuts Bengaluru daycare after reports of alleged abuse: Here's what happened
IT giant Capgemini on Wednesday temporarily shut its Bengaluru daycare following reports of alleged abuse of children between two and three years at the centre
IT giant Capgemini on Wednesday temporarily shut its Bengaluru daycare following reports of alleged abuse of children between two and three years at the centre. 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.” Also Read | Spike Lee defends Michael movie over omission of child abuse allegations Why Capgemini closed its Bengaluru daycare After disturbing videos of abuse surfaced online, five nannies at the crèche on Capgemini's campus in east Bengaluru were booked for cruelty against children, ANI reported.
The videos allegedly showed the nannies placing toddlers inside a washing machine, spraying water into their mouths using a toilet jet spray, and locking them into washrooms to stop them from crying. Police have identified the five nannies as Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu, and Bindu. The HAL Police have registered a case under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for criminal intimidation. Police said toddlers were also forced to sit on Western-style commodes and threatened into silence, ANI reported. Most of the toddlers' parents are IT professionals working at the company. The case gained attention after a child helpline official received four videos and informed police.
Citing police sources, ANI reported that a staffer whose friend was recently fired from the daycare recorded the footage. Also Read | Claims of kickbacks, fake daycare centres trigger major probe in Minnesota According to media reports, police registered an FIR on 29 June at HAL police station based on a complaint made by district child protection unit officer Tilakesh Kumar, who received these videos on WhatsApp from Capgemini's Brookfield campus daycare. Police inspect premises, obtain CCTV footage On Wednesday, HAL police inspected the premises and obtained CCTV footage. Additionally, notices were sent to all five accused, directing them to appear for questioning. A senior police officer said investigators will reach out to the toddlers' parents to determine whether they had observed any indications of abuse or whether the children had reported being mistreated.
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