Twist in Bengaluru daycare case, cops say whistleblower staged video of abuse

Police have arrested the woman initially seen as the whistleblower in the Bengaluru toddler daycare abuse case. Investigators allege she staged one viral clip while a wider probe into the facility continues.

In Short

• Whistleblower Sujata arrested as 6th accused for staging clip
• Sujata admitted recording and sharing abuse videos due to personal feud
• Capgemini shut daycare, assures employee safety and cooperation

A case involving the abuse of toddlers at a daycare centre inside a corporate campus in Bengaluru has taken a twist, with the woman who first exposed the mistreatment arrested as the sixth accused. The police said that she not only circulated the viral abuse videos but also staged one of the clips.

The case came to light last week after videos from Capgemini's on-campus daycare centre in Bengaluru surfaced online, showing toddlers allegedly being forced into the drum of a front-loading washing machine, sprayed with water using a bidet and locked inside bathrooms as punishment for crying.

The footage triggered widespread outrage, prompting police to register an FIR against five women associated with the facility. Vijayalakshmi was the first of the five to be arrested on July 2.

As the investigation progressed, police arrested Sujata on July 3, who had initially been viewed as the whistleblower.

According to investigators, she admitted during questioning to recording one of the viral videos, locking a toddler inside a washroom.

Police said the act was motivated by a personal dispute with her supervisor and prime accused in the case, Manjula, who is currently on the run, stemming from workplace and salary-related issues.

Investigators further claimed that Sujata recorded two additional videos showing caregivers mistreating children and forwarded all three clips to a man identified as Gowtham, who is accused of circulating them.

Police said Sujata has been named an accused based on her statement and digital evidence collected during the investigation.

Following the allegations, Capgemini temporarily shut the facility and said the health, safety and wellbeing of employees and their families remained its top priority and that it was fully cooperating with the investigation.

The matter has also reached the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights after a petition sought its intervention. The commission is expected to seek a detailed report from the authorities and independently examine the allegations as the probe continues.

- Ends