After a woman discovered a hidden camera in the toilet of a coffee shop, Bengaluru Police have arrested an employee for allegedly hiding the mobile phone in the dustbin of the women's restroom to record videos. The incident was reported on Saturday, August 10, from BEL Road in Bengaluru.
According to a social media post detailing the incident, the phone was hidden in the dustbin of the washroom, facing the toilet seat, with the video recording going on for about two hours. The phone was reportedly put on flight mode and hidden in the dustbin bag which had a hole made in it so that only the camera is exposed.
“It was quickly found that the phone belonged to one of the men working there. The police were alerted and they arrived soon enough, and action is being taken. This was so horrific to witness. I will be vigilant at any washroom I use from now on, no matter how well-known the chain of cafe or restaurant is. And I request all of you to do the same. This is absolutely disgusting,” the post stated.
Replying to the post, the coffee shop management said that the "safety and well-being of our customers is always our priority. The coffee shop has a stringent zero tolerance policy and the person under question at the BEL Road store has been immediately terminated, with necessary legal action being initiated".
Police after reaching the coffee shop verified the matter, arrested the accused employee, identified as 23-year-old Manoj, and seized his mobile phone. According to the police, the accused is a Bhadravathi resident who worked at the coffee shop for some time.
A case has been registered against the accused and police are investigating whether the accused had made similar videos before. Sadashivanagar police told TNM that an FIR had been registered under Section 77 (watching, capturing and disseminating private images of a woman without her consent) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and relevant provisions of the Information Technology (IT) Act.
(With inputs from IANS)