This Week in Explainers: How the Capgemini horror raises questions about India’s daycare facilities

A child abuse horror and a mass killing plot… The news in India delivered several shockers this week.

Daycare centres in the country are in the spotlight after an abuse scandal linked to IT firm Capgemini in Bengaluru. An on-campus crèche facility was temporarily shut after police registered a case against five caregivers for allegedly mistreating children. Shocking videos showed children of employees placed inside washing machines, locked inside bathrooms, and sprayed with toilet jet sprays. Now parents across the country are questioning the safety of children in crèches.

In Mumbai, police foiled a mass killing plot during a Muharram procession. Fayyaz Premji, a businessman from Pune, had hatched a plan to distribute the poison-laced capsules among the crowds and kill as many as 15,000 people. We tell you more about this spine-chilling case.

In geopolitical news, Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi visited India. The two nations enhanced their trade and strategic partnership and signed deals on AI, metals and energy. PM Narendra Modi referred to the premier as his “younger sister”.

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In our weekly wrap of stories from India, we talk about all this and more.

1. It’s a shocking story that has parents in India worried. An on-campus crèche linked to the tech giant Capgemini has been shut down after allegations that employees’ children were physically assaulted.

The caregivers allegedly locked up kids in washing machines, forced them into water pipes, shoved them into bathrooms, and hosed them down with jet sprays. The case has thrown light on daycare facilities in India. Are they really havens for toddlers?

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi attend a joint press statement at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Reuters

2. India hosted an important strategic partner this week. Japan’s Sanae Takaichi was on a three-day visit to New Delhi, her first since taking over as prime minister. She held a bilateral with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, and participated in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit. Here is why her visit was significant to both the nations. 

3. Meanwhile, India’s troublesome neighbours keep it on its toes. It’s not Pakistan alone, but now Bangladesh, under Tarique Rahman, is also deepening its ties with China. Beijing has recently reiterated its support for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP) and stressed that its cooperation with Bangladesh should be free from third-party influence. Does India have reasons to worry?

People enjoy as firefighters and police use water cannons to spray residents at Heroes Square to help them cool off during a severe heatwave in Budapest, Hungary. Reuters

4. It’s a cruel summer, both in India and Europe. The heatwave in the West has been especially intense. Countries like France, Germany, and the UK are those that witnessed some of their hottest days on record, with the mercury soaring above 40°C. Thousands of deaths in Europe have been linked to the extreme temperatures.

The internet is flooded with videos of people cooking eggs and bacon on frying pans left in the Sun, and chocolates melting in supermarkets. Those watching from India are wondering what the big deal is. “Is 43°C in Europe different than 43°C in India?” a user asked on X in a now-viral post. We explain.

5. On June 26, during a Muharram procession in Mumbai’s Byculla, a burqa-clad woman was distributing what she claimed were painkillers. However, soon after, people started feeling sick and were hospitalised. The police were quick to press into action, and the woman said she got the medicine from a man named Fayyaz Premji. It led them to uncover a sinister plot. The Pune businessman had more than 14,000 pills of zinc phosphide used to kill rodents. He was planning a mass murder. This story brings you the details.

6. He died in the 1996 blizzard. For years, he was known as “Green Boots”, as his body lay on Everest. Now, DNA testing has identified him as Lance Naik Dorje Morup. A mountaineer and soldier, he belonged to the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). Now, the force has launched a rare and complex mission to retrieve the body. Here’s what it will take.

7. We revisit another heartbreaking story from the 1990s. The killing and abduction of nurse Sarla Bhat in Srinagar. The 27-year-old was among the first cases of targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley after the insurgency. Now, after 36 years, the J&K Police’s special State Investigation Agency filed a charge sheet, naming Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik as one of the accused. But what happened to Bhat, and why did it take three decades to file charges? We explain.

Teenagers pose for a photo while holding smartphones in front of a Whatsapp logo. File image/Reuters

8. Our last story is about WhatsApp. The messaging platform’s plan to roll out usernames has run into trouble. The yet-to-be-released feature allows people to find each other without the use of phone numbers. However, the Indian government has concerns. According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, usernames could increase the instances of online fraud and digital arrest scams. Here’s more about the row.

That’s our reading list of stories from India. You can find more such explainers here.