Bengaluru: A shocking case of alleged child abuse has emerged from a daycare facility operating inside Capgemini’s Bengaluru campus in Brookefield, where toddlers were reportedly subjected to physical and mental cruelty by caregivers.
HAL police have registered an FIR against five women caregivers after videos allegedly showed children being placed inside a front-loading washing machine, locked inside bathrooms and sprayed with water using toilet jet sprays when they cried or created a disturbance. The complaint was filed by an official of the District Child Protection Unit, Bengaluru East, according to reports.
The daycare, identified in reports as Society General Baby Care, was operating on the Capgemini Technology Services India campus, where employees left their children while at work. The FIR was registered on June 29 at HAL police station under provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and other relevant charges.
Police officials are now verifying the authenticity of the videos, examining when the alleged incidents took place and trying to determine how many children may have been subjected to similar treatment. The accused caregivers have reportedly been called for questioning as part of the investigation.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh called the matter “very serious” and said strict action would be taken against anyone found involved or supporting such acts. A Deputy Commissioner-rank officer has also been assigned to supervise the case.
Capgemini, reacting to the outrage, said the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees and their families remained its top priority. The company said it was fully cooperating with the authorities and had temporarily closed the Bengaluru on-campus daycare facility as a precautionary measure.
The case has triggered anger among parents and renewed concerns over the safety standards of corporate daycare centres. Questions are now being raised about background verification of caregivers, CCTV monitoring, staff-to-child ratios and the responsibility of companies that allow childcare vendors to operate inside their campuses.
For working parents, the incident is especially disturbing because daycare centres are built on trust. The Bengaluru case now underlines the urgent need for stricter audits, stronger child-protection protocols and regular supervision at creches operating inside offices, especially where very young children are involved.
