Allegations of child abuse: Police to question creche staff at Capgemini in Bengaluru

The HAL police have issued notice to five staff of the creche operating inside IT firm Capgemini summoning them for questioning about allegations of physical abuse and cruelty towards the children of employees of the company.

HAL police registered an FIR against workers at the creche — Little Buds Day Care — on June 29.

Police have gathered video clips reportedly showing the alleged abuse and sent them to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for further verification. The questioning will ascertain the exact role of the staff based on which necessary legal action will be taken, a senior police officer said.

The FIR names caregivers Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu and Bindu. They have been booked under under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, based on a complaint filed by Tilakesh Kumar.

According to the complaint, the alleged incidents took place on June 25 at the Little Buds Day Care facility located within the Capgemini campus at Brookefield. The complainant alleged that the crèche staff, including the in-charge and caregivers, subjected children to physical and mental abuse.

According to the complaint, children who cried or created a disturbance were beaten, dragged, handled badly, confined inside a washroom, doused with water, and were allegedly subjected to physical assault.

The complainant stated that videos showing children crying were circulated on WhatsApp, bringing the alleged abuse to light.

Temporarily closed

On July 1, Capgemini issued a statement announcing full co-operation with the investigators, and temporary closure of the on-campus day care facility.

Police set up special team for probe

Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said that a special team, led by an officer of the rank of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), was formed for the probe. “The FIR was registered based on a call to the child helpline. The police have visited the spot, and collected CCTV footage from the campus, which is being analysed now,” he said.

Mr. Singh also announced the police would collect details of all day care centres run by companies in Bengaluru, and ensure all the rules are followed at these centres. “Any violation will be dealt with strictly,” he said.