Bengaluru daycare incident: Whistleblower was fired after reporting abuse of toddlers

BENGALURU: A whistleblower who earlier reported alleged abuse of children at a daycare centre on the campus of an IT company in Bengaluru was fired from job, according to probation officer Tilakesh Kumar. The allegation comes as police continue investigating disturbing videos that appear to show toddlers being subjected to physical abuse at the facility, leading to the arrest of five childcare workers.Kumar said between 50 and 60 children were enrolled at the daycare centre, with around 15 to 20 attending on any given day. "This has been happening for a long time," Kumar said. "Earlier, someone informed the supervisor, but no action was taken." He added that the previous whistleblower was fired after reporting the alleged abuse. Kumar also said authorities had suspected that children were being mistreated at the facility but had been unable to prove it until the videos surfaced. The case came to light after a child protection officer submitted a complaint to Bengaluru's HAL Police along with four videos allegedly showing children being abused inside the daycare centre, located on the premises of Capgemini's campus in Brookefield. According to police, the videos appear to show toddlers aged between two and three being placed inside a front-loading washing machine, sprayed with water from a toilet jet, locked inside toilets, and threatened into silence. Five women employed as nannies at the centre — Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu and Bindu — have been arrested. They have been booked under provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with criminal intimidation. 'A very serious issue'Police commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh described the allegations as "a very serious issue" and said investigators were verifying the videos, CCTV footage and other technical evidence. "No one will be spared," he told reporters, adding that senior officers, including a woman deputy commissioner of Police and the Joint Commissioner (East), were overseeing the investigation.Singh also said police would examine other daycare centres operating in the city to verify whether they were authorised and complying with prescribed safety norms. Police sources said the videos were allegedly recorded by a staff member whose friend had lost her job at the daycare centre last month. The complaint was later filed by a child helpline official after receiving the footage. The investigation is ongoing, and police say they are working to identify whether any additional people were involved.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.