Bengaluru day-care whistleblower arrested for circulating abuse videos

The whistleblower who recorded and circulated videos showing children being abused at an on-campus day-care inside Capgemini's Bengaluru campus has been arrested for sharing the footage, police said.

According to police, action was taken because the woman "leaked the sensitive videos" that brought the abuse to light.

Her arrest comes a day after she was taken to a police station for questioning. Family members and activists had earlier expressed concern that police had not disclosed the reason for her questioning and had kept her in custody for an extended period.

The videos showed children, some as young as two years old, sitting inside the drum of a front-loading washing machine while caregivers sprayed them with water. Other footage showed children being locked inside bathrooms.

The videos went viral, leading to a police complaint and a separate complaint before the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

Following the circulation of the videos, the day-care terminated the whistleblower's employment.

Officials said the day-care had around 50 to 60 children enrolled, with 15 to 20 attending daily. A district child protection officer said that caregivers had subjected young children to systematic abuse.

Police have so far arrested two day-care staff members, Vijayalakshmi and Manjula, after finding substantial evidence against them. Officials said more arrests are expected.

Capgemini said it is cooperating with the investigation.

"Capgemini's foremost priority is the health, safety, and well-being of its employees and their families. We are cooperating fully with the relevant authorities and assisting them in their efforts to establish the facts," the company said.

The company has temporarily closed the on-campus day-care facility.