Bengaluru, July 2: A major investigation is underway after five employees of a Bengaluru daycare centre accused of physically abusing toddlers went absconding, prompting police to launch a manhunt and constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The case has triggered serious concerns over child safety, with authorities treating the allegations as a grave offence following the emergence of disturbing videos purportedly showing children being subjected to physical violence.
Police said the five accused staff members have switched off their mobile phones and remain untraceable. An FIR has been registered after videos allegedly depicting the abuse surfaced on social media and were subsequently forwarded to the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), leading to formal legal action.
Investigators conducted a scene inspection at the daycare centre on Thursday as senior police officers visited the premises to collect evidence. According to police, the daycare facility was operating through an outsourced arrangement.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh described the incident as “serious” and “heinous” after reviewing the videos. He said such acts should never occur and assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to identify and prosecute those responsible.
The Commissioner confirmed that an FIR has been registered against the five accused women and that an SIT comprising senior police officers has been formed to investigate the matter. The Joint Commissioner of Police (East), the in-charge Deputy Commissioner of Police of Whitefield and a woman police officer from the South-East Division have been assigned to lead the investigation.
He further stated that the investigation would focus primarily on the alleged abuse rather than on how the videos entered the public domain. According to him, the visual evidence itself raises serious concerns that require immediate attention.
The Commissioner also said police would seek details of similar daycare centres from the concerned department. Any facility found violating prescribed rules or operating outside regulatory norms would face action, including closure.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-East) visited the daycare centre to inspect the premises. Police teams are examining CCTV footage and gathering preliminary evidence as part of the ongoing investigation.
The case has been registered at HAL Police Station against five employees of the Society General Baby Care Centre operating within the premises of a private company in Brookefield.
Police registered the case under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act based on a complaint lodged by a state government employee residing in K.R. Puram.
According to the complaint, the Child Welfare Committee received videos and photographs allegedly showing toddlers being subjected to physical violence and intimidation inside the daycare facility.
The FIR contains allegations that staff members used inhuman methods while handling children who cried or became restless. Police said the complaint alleges that children were placed inside a washing machine to frighten them, forced to sit on a western-style toilet, had water forcefully released into their mouths using a pipe, and were locked inside bathrooms as punishment. The FIR also alleges routine physical assault and intimidation.
Police are verifying the authenticity of the videos, recording statements of parents, staff members and other witnesses while collecting additional evidence. Efforts to trace and arrest the absconding accused are continuing, and the investigation remains in progress.
