The owner of a daycare in Abbotsford, B.C., has been charged with multiple counts of abuse after allegedly assaulting children over a two-year period.
Indu Takhar, 60, was arrested Tuesday and charged with six counts of assault following an investigation that began last October, said the Abbotsford Police Department in a statement Thursday.
The alleged incidents involved children aged between two and six years old, who are no longer attending the daycare.
The charges date back to 2021, according to court documents.
“Hearing any sort of allegation of a child being assaulted, we obviously take that very serious,” said Const. Jody Thomas during a news conference.
Takhar has operated Smile ‘N’ Play Daycare Inc., on McKinley Drive in East Abbotsford, since 2019. The facility, which has two other locations, runs programs for infants up to children of 12 years old.
Takhar is now under several court-ordered conditions, including being prohibited from visiting any daycare centres and having no contact with anyone under the age of 16.
Some parents dropping off children at one of the daycare locations on Thursday said they had not heard about the allegations.
“I’m kinda shocked. I never have had any issues,” said Khush Bains.
“My son’s never complained and he’s two and a half so he would be able to tell me,” she said, adding that Takhar had watched her son a few times.
“He loves the teachers. They’re amazing,” she said.
Another parent said she had heard rumours about an investigation, but has no concerns.
“Teachers are good. Management is good. I don’t feel there’s anything to be worried about,” she said.
In a statement, Fraser Health said, “We are aware of an ongoing police investigation related to Smile ‘N’ Play Daycare Centre in Abbotsford and are regularly in touch with investigators as needed. We recognize this situation may be concerning for families. Our team is here to provide support and ensure that every child remains in a safe and healthy environment.”
Fraser Health also said, “As soon as we received a complaint regarding the daycare operator, we took immediate action by implementing a health and safety plan across all three locations which meant this individual was not allowed to access these sites, to safeguard the children in care.”
The health authority said it’s launched its own investigation, but that all three daycare sites remain open.
The daycare’s website describes Takhar as a “compassionate soul” with a “heart full of passion for nurturing young minds.”
CTV News tried to contact Takhar, but did not hear back by deadline.
Meanwhile, police are asking for the public’s help in their investigation.
“We are asking that if there are any other victims out there or anybody that has information that may assist with this investigation to please contact us,” said Thomas.
