Human Rights body seeks report from Karnataka govt over abuse of toddlers at daycare

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday said it has issued notices to the Karnataka government and the state police chief over the abuse of toddlers by nannies at an on-campus daycare of IT giant Capgemini in Bengaluru.

In a separate case, the rights panel also sought a report from the Madhya Pradesh government over allegations that a one-and-a-half-year-old child lost his eyesight due to medical negligence at a civil hospital in Sagar district.

The Commission said it took suo motu cognisance of both matters on the basis of media reports and has asked the authorities concerned to submit detailed reports within two weeks. It said the allegations, if true, raise serious issues of human rights violations.

On the Bengaluru case, the NHRC said the incident reportedly came to light after a child helpline official received videos showing "cruelty towards toddlers" at the facility, where professionals working on the campus leave their children while on duty. The Commission said it took note of media reports about "some toddlers being treated inhumanely by the nannies at a creche operating on the premises of an IT company in Bengaluru".

The horrific video, which surfaced on July 2, purportedly showed nannies stuffing toddlers into washing machines, locking them in bathrooms and spraying water into their mouths with a toilet jet spray to make them stop crying and behave. The NHRC said the creche has been temporarily closed as a precaution. It has issued notices to the Karnataka chief secretary and the director general of police over the matter.

In the Madhya Pradesh case, the NHRC said it took suo motu cognisance of a media report that a one-and-a-half-year-old toddler lost his eyesight due to alleged medical negligence at Banda Civil Hospital in Sagar district. The child had reportedly been taken to the hospital for treatment for a cold and redness in his eyes, but doctors allegedly put nasal drops into his eyes. The Commission said he later developed an infection that led to the loss of vision.

The NHRC has asked the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary to submit a detailed report within two weeks. The Commission said both cases have been taken up on the basis of media reports and concern alleged violations involving the safety and well-being of young children.

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