Bengaluru: The arrest of a nanny who exposed the alleged abuse of toddlers at a daycare centre on the Capgemini campus in Bengaluru has sparked debate, with police claiming she recorded and circulated videos not to protect the children but to implicate her colleagues following workplace disputes.
Sujatha, 45, who worked at the Little Scholars daycare in Brookefield, was arrested after investigators concluded that she was allegedly involved in the abuse and deliberately recorded videos to “fix” fellow nannies and her supervisor, Manjula.
Police say videos were recorded to implicate colleagues
According to Bengaluru Police, Sujatha had frequent disputes with other caregivers and the daycare supervisor before she was removed from her job.
Investigators allege that her primary motive was to get the other nannies and the supervisor into trouble. Police claim she deliberately recorded incidents involving toddlers being mistreated and, in one instance, allegedly locked a child inside a bathroom herself before filming the crying toddler.
Officials also allege that she recorded videos showing other caregivers allegedly mistreating children and later shared the footage with a third person before it eventually reached the authorities.
Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh questioned why Sujatha waited seven days before handing over the videos to the Child Helpline if the children’s welfare had been her primary concern.
Arrest based on alleged role in abuse
Police said Sujatha’s arrest was based not only on sharing the videos but also on evidence suggesting she participated in acts of abuse. Authorities further alleged that circulating videos of the children violated provisions of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 by compromising their privacy.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Mohammad Sujeetha, who is leading the investigation, said multiple pieces of evidence, including CCTV footage and witness statements, led to her arrest.
The daycare’s administrative officials have also been served notices and are expected to be questioned as the investigation continues.