The owner and operator of a daycare in Abbotsford was in court on Tuesday for charges of assaulting children in her care.
In October 2024, Abbotsford police’s major crime unit launched an investigation into children being assaulted at the Smile ‘N’ Play Daycare in East Abbotsford.
The alleged incidents, dating back to 2022, involved children aged two to six years old, police said.
In court on Monday, Indu Takhar pleaded not guilty to five counts of assault.
She was originally charged with six counts of assault, but it is unclear why the sixth charge was dropped.
Witnesses, including parents and children, are expected to testify in the trial, which is set to last until April 29.
“I can confirm that the children were no longer at the daycare,” Const. Jody Thomas with Abbotsford police told Global News in February 2025.
“And these are kids. They’re aged two to six. So, of course, we have officers that are specialized in interviewing children … you have to interview everybody involved. And that’s a lot of interviews to conduct and ensuring that we find everybody that we can that may have information to help us.”
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In a statement in February 2025, Fraser Health confirmed the investigation is related to Smile ‘N’ Play Daycare Centre in Abbotsford.
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“As part of our commitment to child safety, we have launched our own investigation and are actively monitoring all three Smile ‘N’ Play Daycare Centre locations to ensure they comply with the Child Care Licensing Regulation and the Community Care and Assisted Living Act,” Fraser Health stated.
“While the investigation is ongoing, the individual named in the complaint is not permitted to access any of the locations, all of which remain open.”
The health authority said that as soon as they received a complaint about the daycare operator, they took immediate action by implementing a safety plan across all three daycare sites.
“We are committed to transparency, and once our investigation is complete, we will post a summary of substantiated complaints online. Parents and caregivers can also review routine inspection reports and complaint findings at this website.
“We understand that this is a difficult time for families, and we remain dedicated to ensuring that all children receive care in a safe, supportive and well-regulated environment.”
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
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