police-arrest-one-in-capgemini-daycare-toddler-abuse-case

The Bengaluru Police have made their first arrest following the abuse of toddlers at a daycare facility inside a corporate campus in the city. The case has widened with parallel probes by child rights authorities alongside mounting scrutiny over safety lapses, officials confirmed on Friday. The arrested woman, Vijayalaxmi, was employed at Capgemini's daycare centre and has been identified as the person seen in a video that triggered public outrage. Police stated she has been booked under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Juvenile Justice Act.

 

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner, Seemanth Kumar Singh, confirmed that Vijayalaxmi has been named Accused No. 2 in the First Information Report registered in the case. He noted that the investigating officer identified her during video verification, after which she was taken into custody. She is expected to be produced before the court shortly, with police seeking her custody for further interrogation. Officials also mentioned that three other individuals were issued notices to appear before investigators but failed to turn up for questioning earlier.

 

The case erupted after disturbing videos surfaced online showing toddlers, some barely two years old, being subjected to abusive treatment inside the daycare operating on Capgemini's Bengaluru campus. The video clips, which soon became viral, captured children being thrown into the barrel of the front loader washing machine, being sprayed with water jet sprays in the mouth, and locking children inside toilets because of their crying.

 

After the public outcry, the police lodged a case against five women, who were associated with the institution, to find out if these abuses were sporadic or a regular occurrence.

 

Consequently, Capgemini has been forced to close its campus daycare centre in Bengaluru on a temporary basis. In its statement, Capgemini expressed its concern over the safety and wellbeing of its employees and their families and mentioned that it will be working alongside the concerned authorities to investigate this case.

 

In addition, this case has come before the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, following a petition. The commission is expected to demand a detailed report from authorities and independently review the allegations.

 

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