Bengaluru daycare horror: Whistleblower who exposed abuse was sacked after reporting incident
PTC News Desk: Caregivers at a daycare centre inside the Bengaluru campus of Capgemini allegedly abused young children for an extended period, according to district child protection officials.
Probation Officer Tilakesh Kumar said around 50 to 60 children were enrolled at the centre, with 15 to 20 attending daily. He claimed the abuse had likely been going on for a long time and revealed that an earlier whistleblower who reported the incidents was allegedly dismissed without any action being taken.
Kumar said authorities had previously suspected child abuse at the facility but lacked evidence to prove it.
The allegations came to light after disturbing videos were shared by a complainant this week. The footage reportedly showed children as young as two years old being placed inside a washing machine while water was sprayed on them. Other videos allegedly showed children being locked inside bathrooms. The videos were later reported to a children's helpline.
According to Kumar, caregivers allegedly mistreated children when they cried or made noise. He said the complainant provided the videos to authorities, following which officials immediately approached the police and filed a complaint.
A case has now been registered against five caregivers, and the videos have been submitted to the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights for investigation.
Capgemini said the health, safety and well-being of its employees and their families remain its top priority. The company added that it is fully cooperating with the investigation and has temporarily closed the daycare facility as a precautionary measure.
- With inputs from agencies
