Bengaluru Daycare Abuse Whistleblower Questioned By Cops, Family Raises Alarm

A day after shocking videos allegedly showing toddlers being ill treated at the daycare facility inside the Capgemini campus in Bengaluru surfaced, the whistleblower who recorded and shared the videos has been taken to the police station for questioning. 

The development comes after police on Friday arrested two people in connection with the case as the probe into the alleged abuse gathered pace.

The woman, who is believed to have recorded the videos that brought the alleged abuse to light, has remained at the police station for several hours. Family members and activists have claimed that the police have not disclosed the purpose of the questioning and have expressed apprehensions over the intentions behind keeping the whistleblower in custody for an extended period.

Police, however, have maintained that the woman was present and worked at the daycare at the time of the alleged incidents and is being questioned to ascertain her role and gather further details relevant to the investigation. 

According to officials, the questioning forms part of the ongoing probe.

Meanwhile, Capgemini has issued a detailed statement saying the safety and wellbeing of every child remains its highest priority. The company said the daycare facility, operated by external service provider Little Scholars, is being treated with the utmost seriousness and that its immediate concern is with the affected children and their families.

Capgemini said it has temporarily closed the Bengaluru daycare facility pending a review and is extending full cooperation to the investigating authorities. The company has also announced support measures for affected families, including a dedicated helpline, counselling through its Employee Assistance Program and flexible work-from-home options for employees.

"The situation reported at the daycare facility in Bengaluru, operated by the external provider Little Scholars, is being treated with the utmost seriousness. While the authorities conduct their investigation, we have taken a number of concrete actions in the last 48 hrs, including the immediate temporary closure of this daycare facility in Bengaluru pending review," the company said.

The IT major further said it is reassessing all daycare providers across its facilities in India and reiterated its commitment to taking decisive action to protect the children and families of its employees.