Two Daycare Staff Arrested For Alleged Child Abuse At Capgemini Premises In HAL
Two staff members of the Little Scholar Baby Care Centre, operating on the premises of tech major Capgemini in the HAL area of Bengaluru, have been arrested in connection with the alleged physical abuse of children. Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) chairman Santosh Kumar announced the arrests during a press conference on Saturday.
The alleged physical abuse came to light following a complaint received on June 25 regarding the daycare centre functioning in HAL. Following reports on social media and in the media, the KSCPCR took suo motu cognisance of the incident.
An FIR was subsequently registered at the HAL police station. The two suspects, who are both employees of the daycare centre, were arrested by the police and have been remanded in judicial custody. The investigation into the alleged abuse is currently ongoing.
Following the complaint, the state child rights commission directed both the HAL police and the Bengaluru East District Child Protection Unit to take immediate action and submit a detailed report. To assess the situation and gather information, a KSCPCR team visited the daycare centre and the HAL police station on July 2.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has also initiated a suo motu inquiry into the case. An NCPCR team visited the HAL police station and the daycare centre on July 3 and July 4 to review the progress of the police investigation.
According to the commission, all necessary legal steps have been taken in accordance with the law, and further action will be based on the findings of the ongoing investigation.
In response to the incident, the KSCPCR has proposed several measures to prevent such occurrences. The commission has recommended mandatory staff training, revised standard operating procedures, and greater transparency, which includes providing parents with access to CCTV footage. Additionally, the commission has proposed counselling support for the affected families.
A statement from Capgemini claimed that the KSCPCR stated the technology company does not bear direct liability in the alleged abuse. This is because the daycare facility was operated by an outsourced service provider, Little Scholars.
