The operator of the daycare centre at Capgemini's Bengaluru campus on Tuesday, July 15, claimed that the videos showing children being abused were staged by two dismissed employees. Little Scholars alleged the women recorded the footage as part of an extortion bid.
At a press conference in Bengaluru, Ramandeep Kaur, proprietor of Little Scholars, alleged that the employees, identified as Sujata and Vijayalaxmi R, were terminated on June 25 following a physical and verbal altercation at the daycare. She claimed the women later conspired with former centre manager Manjula to record videos of children in distress, demand money, and pressure the company to reinstate them.
The allegation by the proprietor come days after police registered cases against five and arrested two in connection with the alleged abuse at the daycare. The investigation is ongoing.
According to Little Scholars' official statement, the two women returned to the daycare a day after their dismissal seeking to keep their jobs. Kaur said they were informed that the decision would not be reversed and that they would receive their pending salaries along with 15 days' severance pay.
The company alleged that after receiving the payment, Sujata falsely claimed she had not been paid and threatened to release videos purportedly showing children being mistreated.
Little Scholars further alleged that the women bypassed its no-mobile-phone policy by secretly bringing a phone into the daycare. It claimed they took toddlers who were too young to speak to areas outside CCTV coverage, staged scenes of distress and recorded them. The company also alleged that videos showing caregivers locking children in bathrooms, spraying water into their mouths and placing a child inside a washing machine drum were deliberately orchestrated. TNM could not independently verify these claims.
The daycare operator also accused former centre manager Manjula of acting in collusion with the dismissed employees. According to the statement, Manjula introduced an individual identifying himself as "Mahender", claiming he was a police officer with influence over senior officials.
Kaur alleged that the man initially demanded Rs 20,000 to arrange legal assistance before later seeking Rs 2.5 lakh to settle the matter. She said she refused to pay.
The company said four employees subsequently visited HAL Police Station, where a sub-inspector allegedly informed them that Mahender was not a police officer. Little Scholars claimed that Manjula thereafter stopped cooperating with the company and could not be contacted.
Addressing questions about the daycare's hiring practices, Kaur said caregivers are required to have completed Class 10 and possess at least three years' experience. She added that background verification is conducted through the recruitment agency before appointments are made.
Aditya Krishna Pandey, legal counsel for Little Scholars, described the incident as a "premeditated conspiracy", claiming the daycare had maintained a clean record for 17 years and that this was the first time someone had secretly brought a mobile phone into the facility.
Asked why the company decided to hold a press conference, Kaur said it wanted to present its version of events. "People must know what has truly happened. The people who believe us still do, and they know the quality of services we have provided," she said.