Bengaluru
oi-Madhuri Adnal
The alleged abuse case at Little Scholars, a daycare centre operating inside the Capgemini campus in Bengaluru, took a new turn on Tuesday after the management accused former employees of attempting to extort the organisation and orchestrating a campaign to damage its reputation.
Police, meanwhile, said the investigation is still underway. A senior officer confirmed that the toddlers seen in the viral videos have undergone medical examinations as part of the probe.
Bengaluru’s Little Scholars daycare management accuses dismissed employees Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi of extortion and recording children off-camera after termination on June 25; police investigation, including toddler medical exams, is ongoing.
In a detailed statement, Little Scholars said two employees, Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi R., were dismissed on June 25 following an alleged altercation at the daycare. According to the management, the two later approached the organisation seeking their jobs back and allegedly turned hostile after their request was rejected.
The daycare claimed it had become the target of a “criminal conspiracy” involving extortion, blackmail and an effort to tarnish the institution’s image.
According to the management, the former employees managed to bring a mobile phone into the facility despite security restrictions. It alleged that they took children to areas that were not covered by CCTV cameras and recorded videos that later surfaced publicly.
The organisation claimed the recordings were created after the employees were terminated and were subsequently used to pressure the management.
Little Scholars also levelled allegations against its former centre manager, Manjula, accusing her of working with the dismissed employees. The daycare alleged that Manjula introduced a man identified as Mahender, who allegedly presented himself as a police officer.
The management claimed Mahender initially took ₹20,000 from the proprietor, saying the money was needed for legal expenses. It further alleged that he later demanded another ₹2.5 lakh.
According to the daycare, the videos were shared with the media after the management refused to meet the alleged demands or reinstate the former employees.
The organisation further claimed that Manjula disappeared after police informed the management that Mahender was not a police officer.
Little Scholars said it has handed over CCTV footage, digital records, call logs, financial transaction details and other documents to both the police and Capgemini’s internal inquiry team.
The daycare also reiterated that Capgemini’s involvement was limited to providing space for the facility on its campus and that all childcare operations were managed independently by Little Scholars.
Police said only Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi have been arrested so far in connection with the case. Investigators are examining claims made by both the complainants and the daycare management.
A senior police officer said the children’s medical examinations have been completed as part of the investigation. Police have not yet commented on the daycare’s allegations of extortion and impersonation.
