Bengaluru Daycare Alleges Extortion Conspiracy by Dismissed Staff Amid Abuse Probe

On Tuesday, the management of the Little Scholars daycare centre, located inside the Capgemini campus in Bengaluru, alleged that it has been the target of a "highly orchestrated criminal conspiracy" and extortion attempt by dismissed former employees. This statement comes amid an ongoing police investigation into child abuse allegations at the facility, where police confirmed that the affected toddlers have already undergone medical examinations.

According to the daycare management, two former employees, Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi R., were dismissed on June 25 following a physical and verbal altercation at the centre. The management claimed that after the two women were refused reinstatement, they conspired to extort the organisation and tarnish its reputation.

The daycare alleged that the former employees bypassed security protocols to bring a mobile phone into the facility. They allegedly took children to areas outside CCTV coverage to record videos, which the management claims were staged to pressure the daycare rather than to report abuse.

The management also accused its former centre manager, Manjula, of colluding with the dismissed employees. Manjula allegedly introduced a man named Mahender, who posed as a police officer. The daycare claimed Mahender collected Rs 20,000 from the proprietor for legal expenses and later demanded an additional Rs 2.5 lakh.

According to the company's statement, when they refused to pay the money or reinstate the terminated staff, the videos were circulated to the media. Manjula reportedly absconded after police informed the daycare that Mahender was not an officer.

Local police confirmed that Sujatha and Vijayalakshmi R. have been arrested so far. While the investigation into the allegations from both sides is ongoing, a senior police officer confirmed that medical examinations for the children have been completed.

The daycare management stated it is cooperating fully with both the police and Capgemini’s internal inquiry, providing CCTV footage, call logs, and financial records. The company clarified that Capgemini’s role was strictly limited to providing space on its campus, while Little Scholars managed all operations independently.