Toddlers Kept In Washing Machines, Locked In Bathrooms: Horror At Bengaluru Daycare

Children between two and three years old made to sit in the drum of a front-loading washing machine, water sprayed into their mouths with a toilet jet spray, and locked in bathrooms - these were the inhuman punishments allegedly meted out at a daycare centre in Bengaluru.

A case has been filed against five women caregivers at the centre, which was operating inside the HAL campus of Capgemini. The company said the well-being of its families and their employees is its main priority and the daycare is being temporarily closed. 

"The toddlers were made to sit in washing machines, water was sprayed into their mouths and they were locked inside bathrooms to silence them when they cried," said an official.

Videos purportedly showing the abuse have gone viral on social media, prompting a police complaint and a separate complaint before the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

The incident has sparked outrage among parents, many of whom entrusted the daycare with their children while they worked at the IT company. The allegations have also raised serious concerns over the safety and monitoring of childcare facilities operating inside corporate campuses.

In a statement, Capgemini said, "Capgemini's foremost priority is the health, safety and well-being of its employees and their families. We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and assisting them in their efforts to establish the facts. As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily closing the Bengaluru on-campus daycare facility."