“Equally party to crime…”: Bengaluru Police Commissioner on arrest of whistleblower in IT firm crèche case

Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], July 8 (ANI): Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh on Wednesday defended the arrest of the 'whistleblower', who originally brought the incidents to light, saying that the complaint was filed with a delay of sufficient time and days after recording, underlining that she was also a part of the crime.
Speaking at a press conference, Singh said that investigators have uncovered substantial evidence suggesting she was also an equal party to the crime.
He noted that the investigation is based on various aspects, such as determining the authenticity of the evidence submitted by the complainant and the delay in registering the complaint.
"One is whether what is shown in the viral video and what is the complaint given by the Child Protection Officer, that investigation is going on. As per that investigation, only two people have been arrested. Out of the two persons, one happens to be a whistleblower. Now, the question arises: why did we arrest the whistleblower? There is enough evidence why we have arrested," he said.
"Where, wherever such sensitive issues are involved, there are some formalities to be followed. So, that has not been followed. It may be that she doesn't know the law. However, as per our investigation, as of now, there is a delay of sufficient time and days after the recording of this evidence. So, why was the delay?" he asked.
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner added that there has also been some evidence suggesting that one of the cases was stage-managed. He underlined that even though the 'whistleblower' raised the issue to attention, she was also clearly a part of the crime.
"There is some evidence which is coming up wherein one of the cases was stage-managed. So, these are some of the things which have been corroborated by evidence, and the investigation is still on. We cannot divulge more than that, but since some media reported that the whistleblower has been arrested, it's no doubt that she may have been a whistleblower, but she is also equally a party to the crime. So that is why she has been arrested," he said.
Earlier, five nannies at a crèche on the campus of an IT firm in east Bengaluru were arrested for cruelty against children after disturbing videos of abuse surfaced.
HAL Police have registered a case against Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu, and Bindu under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for criminal intimidation.
The videos allegedly show the nannies placing toddlers aged 2-3 years inside a washing machine, spraying water into their mouths using a toilet jet spray, and locking them in toilets to stop them from crying. Police said the nannies also forced children to sit on Western-style commodes and threatened them into silence if they didn't obey.
The probe is underway. More details are awaited. (ANI)