Pramesh S Jain
The HAL police on Saturday arrested Sujatha,a former caregiver at the daycare centre operating inside the Capgemini campus in Brookefield,in connection with the alleged physical abuse of children that has sparked widespread outrage.
She is the second person to be arrested in the case after caregiver Vijayalakshmi (55) was arrested on Friday for allegedly assaulting children at the facility.
Senior officer told reporters that Sujatha,who was dismissed from her job at the daycare,allegedly orchestrated the recording of videos showing the abuse by using an accomplice who was still employed at the centre.Investigators said Sujatha’s name does not figure in the original FIR.
Police have booked Sujatha under provisions of the Information Technology Act and other relevant laws, alleging that she facilitated the recording and circulation of child abuse videos before reporting the matter to the Child Helpline.
She has also been accused of failing to promptly report the abuse and of delaying the complaint despite allegedly having knowledge of the incidents.
Investigators are probing whether there was any conspiracy behind the delay.She was produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
Sujatha,a resident of Tekal in Malur taluk of Kolar district, used to commute daily by train to Bengaluru to work at the daycare centre.
Financial dispute under probe:
Police said Sujatha had developed a financial dispute with caregiver Vijayalakshmi within a month of joining the daycare and was subsequently terminated from service.
Investigators suspect that,allegedly seeking revenge against Vijayalakshmi,she arranged to obtain video recordings of the alleged abuse inside the daycare.
According to her statement,the videos were recorded on June 22.Her mobile phone has been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to determine whether the videos were edited or tampered with.
We are also verifying the date of her termination by obtaining employment records from the daycare management and are examining how she allegedly gained access to the facility,or arranged for the recording of the videos, after her dismissal.
We are concerned only the children harassment and voilations of JJ Act,the registrations and SOP of the day cares is not part of the investigations,at this point,a senior police officer,said .
Daycare operated by private agency:
During its inquiry,the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights(KSCPCR)found that the daycare facility inside the Capgemini campus had been outsourced to a private agency,identified as Little Scholar Baby Care Centre.
KSCPCR Chairperson,Santosh Kumar said the Commission had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports and social media posts regarding the abuse and had conducted an on-site inspection of both the daycare centre and the HAL Police Station on July 2.
He said the Commission had directed the police and the District Child Protection Unit to take immediate action and submit detailed reports.
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)also visited the daycare and police station on July 3 and 4 to review the progress of the investigation.
“The police have taken all necessary legal action.Two accused have been arrested and the investigation is progressing,”Santosh Kumar said.
Panel recommends uniform regulation:
Based on its preliminary findings,the State Child Rights Commission has recommended that the Karnataka government introduce a comprehensive regulatory framework for daycare centres.The Commission has recommended that:
All daycare centres in the state should be brought under the jurisdiction of a single government department for registration and regulation.
Registration should be made mandatory for every daycare centre.
CCTV cameras should be installed in all childcare areas, and parents should be provided access to monitor their children.
Daycare centres should have adequate medical facilities,child safety protocols and emergency response mechanisms.
Only trained and qualified caregivers should be employed,with periodic training made mandatory.
Companies that outsource childcare services should ensure proper training,monitoring and accountability of staff.
Regular inspections and audits should be conducted to ensure compliance with child protection standards.
Santosh Kumar said the Commission currently has no consolidated data on the number of daycare centres operating in Bengaluru or across Karnataka,highlighting the absence of a regulatory mechanism.
He said the Commission would begin inspections of daycare centres across the state to assess their functioning and ensure compliance with child safety norms.The commission had visited day care centre in Manya Tech park and sought details .
The police investigation into the alleged abuse,the recording and circulation of the videos,and the role of all those connected with the incident is continuing.
