Saturday, 17 August 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
An employee of Anandam, a popular sweets and restaurant chain in Dehradun, was arrested on Thursday night for allegedly using his mobile phone to secretly record inside the women’s washroom. The accused, identified as Vinod Kumar (25), was employed as a cleaner at the restaurant. The Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said that the incident came to light when a woman, who was dining at the restaurant with her husband and other family members, noticed what appeared to be a hidden camera in the women’s washroom. She spotted a suspicious device through a cut in the false ceiling of the washroom late on Thursday. She reportedly took a photo of the camera before raising the issue. She went to inform the restaurant manager along with her husband. However, when they returned to the washroom, the device had already been removed, as per SSP.
Following a complaint from the woman Khushboo Sharma, the police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Kumar and the restaurant owner under section 77 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Singh said that Kumar has confessed to recording in the women’s washroom on several occasions in the past. Though the accused had deleted all the photos and videos from his phone, the police have sent it to the forensic science laboratory for further examination. The investigation is ongoing, he added.
This correspondent also tried to contact the restaurant owner Anand Gupta but he was unavailable . The chairperson of Uttarakhand State Commission for Women (USCW) Kusum Kandwal also visited the site on Friday. She instructed the police to take strict action against the accused, who has been arrested. Kandwal emphasised that owners of hotels, restaurants and malls must regularly inspect their premises to prevent such incidents. She also urged women to be cautious when using public restrooms and changing rooms, advising them to check for hidden cameras.
