Bengaluru Daycare Abuse Case: Absconding Caregiver Granted Anticipatory Bail
The prime accused in the Bengaluru daycare abuse case, who had been absconding since the registration of a First Information Report (FIR), has been granted anticipatory bail by a city court on July 9. Manjula, the caregiver and supervisor at the daycare centre located on the Capgemini campus, is the accused number one in the case involving alleged cruelty to children.
The FIR was lodged following a call to the Child Helpline (1098). Manjula has been charged under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, which pertains to assault or use of criminal force, and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which deals with cruelty to children by a person having actual charge or control over them. Both offences carry a maximum punishment of imprisonment for up to three years.
A senior police officer said, “The accused has been granted anticipatory bail. We are awaiting her appearance before us for questioning in accordance with the court’s directions.”
The HAL police are waiting for Manjula to appear for bail formalities, at which point she will be questioned. Investigators are probing the circumstances surrounding the alleged leakage of the video that brought the incident to light, and are examining whether it was circulated with an ulterior motive.
