Bengaluru Police has defended the arrest of the whistleblower in the child cruelty case. The Police Commissioner said that the complaint was delayed and based on the evidence she was also an equal partner in the crime, hence she was arrested.
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [भारत]July 8 (ANI): Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh on Wednesday defended the arrest of the ‘whistleblower’ who originally exposed the incidents. He said the complaint was filed late and days after the recording, and stressed that she was also a part of the crime.
Speaking at a press conference, Singh said that investigators have found enough evidence to suggest that she was also an equal partner in 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 filing the complaint.
Police clarification on arrest of whistleblower
He said, “One, what is shown in the viral video and what is the complaint given by the child protection officer, an investigation is going on. As per that investigation, only two people have been arrested. One of those two persons is the whistleblower. Now, the question arises why we arrested the whistleblower? We have enough evidence as to why we have arrested.”
He asked, “Wherever such sensitive issues are involved, there are certain formalities to be followed. So, that has not been followed. She may not know the law. However, as per our investigation, till now, there has been a delay of considerable time and days after the recording of this evidence. So, why was there a delay?”
The Bengaluru Police Commissioner said some evidence also suggested that one of the cases was stage-managed. He emphasized that even though the ‘whistleblower’ brought the issue to attention, she was also clearly a part of the crime.
He said, “There is some evidence coming out that one of the cases was stage-managed. So, these are some of the things that have been confirmed by the evidence, and the investigation is still going on. We cannot reveal more than that, but since some media have reported that the whistleblower has been arrested, there is no doubt that she may be a whistleblower, but she is also an equal partner in the crime. So she has been arrested.”
What is the whole matter?
Earlier, five nannies at a crèche located on the campus of an IT firm in east Bengaluru were arrested on charges of cruelty towards children after disturbing videos of the abuse emerged.
HAL police have registered a case of criminal intimidation against Manjula, Vijayalakshmi, Bhavani, Sindhu and Bindu under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act and section 351 of the Indian Justice Code.
Videos purportedly show nannies placing 2-3-year-old children inside washing machines, spraying water into their mouths from toilet jet sprays and locking them in toilets to prevent them from crying. Police said the nannies also forced the children to sit on a Western-style commode and threatened them to remain silent if they did not comply. Investigation is ongoing. More details are awaited. (ANI)
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