Bengaluru daycare horror: Capgemini does not bear direct liability, says Karnataka child rights group

The Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) said on Saturday that Capgemini, at the centre of the case pertaining to the "abuse" of toddlers at its daycare centre, "does not bear direct liability in the incident" as it was operated by an outsourced service provider, Little Scholars.

The Commission's observations came as the police investigation into the alleged abuse continues, with officials maintaining that no final conclusions have been reached at this stage.

The matter came to light when purported videos showed caregivers at the Capgemini daycare centre threatening toddlers, aged between two and three years old, when they cried or caused disturbance.

It was alleged that they put children inside a front-loading washing machine, made them sit on a western-style toilet, sprayed water into their mouths using a toilet jet spray, locked them inside bathrooms, and threatened them into keeping quiet.

‘Measures to strengthen child safety standards’

The KSCPCR said it is also recommending measures to strengthen child safety standards across daycare facilities.

"These include mandatory training for all daycare personnel before deployment, revised Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and greater transparency through mechanisms such as parental access to CCTV footage. A formal communication on these recommendations will be sent to the government," the commission said.

It added that the support measures for the affected families are also being initiated.

"Counselling sessions for parents are scheduled to be conducted at NIMHANS next week. Children who are able to communicate will also

undergo age-appropriate interaction and counselling as part of the process," the commission said.

Two arrested

So far, two individuals, Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi, have been arrested in connection with the case.

"The role of other individuals remains under investigation. Officials are also examining adherence to applicable policies, operational procedures and other aspects of the Little Scholars’ functioning," the KSCPCR said.

It was further informed that a team from the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) visited the daycare facility over the past two days to review the matter and is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the government.

Capgemini offers Work-from-home, counselling to employees

Earlier, the IT firm had said it had temporarily shut the centre and extended the work-from-home option to its employees as part of several measures taken to support affected families.

In its statement on Friday (July 4), Capgemini said that while the authorities conduct their investigation, "we have taken a number of concrete actions in the last 48 hours." The include:

1. Immediate temporary closure of this daycare facility in Bengaluru pending review

2. Extend our full cooperation to the authorities to clarify the facts and support that those responsible are held accountable

3. Provide support to affected families, including access to a helpline facility, dedicated counselling through our Employee Assistance Program, and flexible work-from-home options

"At Capgemini, the safety and well-being 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," the company's statement read.

The company said it is extending all support to the affected family. "Our daycare providers are subject to rigorous due diligence and compliance checks," it added.

"These facilities support our employees, who entrust their children to these centres. This is an important part of our commitment to our team members," Capgemini said.

"We are reassessing all of our daycare providers across all of our facilities in India. We are committed to acting decisively to protect our employees and their families," the company said.