BENGALURU: Three days after the alleged abuse at a daycare centre inside the Capgemini campus in Brookefield came to light, parents of toddlers began recounting behavioural changes they believe may be linked to the incidents. In their statement to police, the parents of a two-and-a-half-year-old girl said their daughter developed an intense fear of bathrooms after joining the daycare.According to official statements, the couple, both software professionals employed at different IT firms, enrolled their only child at the daycare around eight months ago. They would typically drop her off every morning before heading to work.A police team led by deputy commissioner of police (southeast) Mohammad Sujeetha interacted with them as well as the parents of another toddler seen in the videos that went viral.The footage, showing caretakers at the daycare, operated by Little Scholars, behaving harshly with toddlers, sparked outrage across the country.In one clip, a young girl is seen locked inside a restroom, crying “amma, amma” while bending down to peer through the gap beneath the makeshift bathroom door.The girl’s parents, particularly her mother, told police that their daughter had developed a deep aversion to bathrooms and toilets.“She would refuse to go to the toilet or bathroom. She would cry and express fear on seeing or entering the toilet or bathroom. When taken for bathing or toilet purposes, she would try to run out of the room. We noticed this behavioural change within a month or two of her joining the daycare. Now we are clear that she was repeatedly locked inside the bathroom, as shown in the video, and that’s why she developed this fear,” they told investigators.
Signs of fear and anxiety
The parents of another three-year-old boy said they had not noticed any behavioural changes in their son. They added, however, that they had sensed some caretakers frequently shouted at children.“While dropping or picking him up, we noticed that children would show signs of fear and anxiety on hearing the voices of some female caretakers,” they said.A senior police officer said investigators had found no material to support allegations that the caretakers locked toddlers inside washing machines or sprayed water into their mouths using toilet jets.“However, the videos clearly show caretakers yelling at toddlers and threatening them to control their behaviour. One video shows a nanny, Vijayalakshmi, locking a child inside the bathroom for crying,” the officer said.
Nanny arrested
Police Friday arrested caretaker Vijayalakshmi, 55, from Kolar, after finding out that she locked a child in a bathroom for crying continuously. Cops are questioning four more caretakers. Vijayalakshmi was produced before a judge at the latter’s home office, and has been sent to 14-day judicial custody.
Rs 8,000 salary for caretakers?
Officials from the labour department have approached police after learning that the monthly salary of the women caretakers was Rs 8,000.“As per the guidelines laid down by the labour department, the salaries should be a minimum of Rs 25,000. The caretakers, in their statement, have claimed that they were given Rs 8,000 a month. Seeking a copy of the statement, labour officials have contacted us. After obtaining the statements mentioning the salary part, they will approach the firm that ran the daycare centre,” a senior police officer said.Authorities are checking if the low salaries added to the frustration of the nannies, who took it out on the toddlers.
Capgemini acted irresponsibly: Home minister
Home minister Priyank Kharge came down heavily on Capgemini for the incident.“Such international companies will have standard operating procedures related to many administrative matters, including running daycare. I don’t think Capgemini have followed any SOP here or acted responsibly. They haven’t properly done background checks on staffers. We have zero tolerance towards Capgemini in this matter. We’ve asked them to give a detailed clarification. An incident of this nature not only damages the companies, but also the image of our Brand Bengaluru,” he said.
Providing support to affected families: Capgemini
Capgemini said it is providing support, including access to a helpline facility, to the families affected by alleged abuse at a childcare facility on its premises.In a statement Friday, the IT firm said, “At Capgemini, the safety and wellbeing of every child remain our highest priority. The situation reported at the daycare facility in Bengaluru, operated by the external provider Little Scholars, is being treated with the utmost seriousness. Our first thoughts are with the children and their families. We are extending all our support to them.”It added, “Our daycare providers are subject to rigorous due diligence and compliance checks. These facilities support our employees, who entrust their children to these centres. This is an important part of our commitment to our team members.”The firm listed out several actions it has taken, including temporary closure of the daycare facility pending review and “extending our full cooperation to the authorities to clarify the facts and support that those responsible are held accountable.”It said its actions also included providing “support to affected families, including access to a helpline facility, dedicated counselling through our Employee Assistance Programme, and flexible work from home options”.“We are committed to acting decisively to protect our employees and their families,” the company maintained.
