'Sprayed with toilet jet, stuffed into washing machines for crying': Capgemini shuts Bengaluru daycare after child abuse allegations; 5 booked

Global IT major Capgemini has temporarily suspended operations at its on-campus creche facility in Bengaluru's HAL area following allegations of child abuse.

The Bengaluru Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against five nannies employed at the facility after viral video footage exposed the severe mistreatment of toddlers.

The abuse came to light after mobile phone footage captured by an insider was circulated among parents and subsequently went viral. The evidence outlines a systemic pattern of psychological and physical torture used by the caretakers to control children aged between two and three years old.

Torture used to discipline toddlers

According to police officials and the filed complaint, the horrific punishments allegedly meted out by the caregivers included forcing crying toddlers to sit inside the drums of front-loading washing machines to terrify them into silence, locking very young children inside dark restrooms for extended periods as a form of isolation.

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Shocking footage also revealed caregivers spraying water directly into the mouths of toddlers using toilet jet sprays when they wouldn't stop crying.

Disclaimer: The following footage contains disturbing visuals. Viewer discretion is advised.

Following the uproar from employees and the public, Capgemini issued an immediate statement condemning the actions and confirming the closure of the facility pending a thorough investigation.

An FIR has been formally registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The five accused women, who were hired as caregivers at the center, are currently facing active police interrogation.

"Capgemini's foremost priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of its employees and their families. We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and assisting them in their efforts to establish the facts. As a precautionary measure, we are temporarily closing the Bengaluru on-campus daycare facility," the company said in a statement.

While tech giants and multinational corporations heavily market on-campus daycares as a premium benefit to support working parents, this incident has exposed a gaping void in the vetting, training, and continuous monitoring of third-party staff handling vulnerable children.

Activists and child safety experts are now demanding mandatory, unannounced audits and live CCTV access for parents at all corporate-backed creches to prevent such systemic abuse from happening behind closed doors again.