The alleged filming of a nursing student by three of her college mates inside the bathrooms of a college in Karnataka’s Udupi last week has sparked outrage while raising questions about how safe women are.
The incident has also raised a flag after statements made by the local police and the nursing college authorities initially claiming that the alleged video was a “prank” done “for fun”. So, where do you draw the line between fun and invasion of one’s privacy?
Cases involving peeping toms and using cameras to invade one’s privacy are considered serious acts of crime, but what is rather unusual about the Udupi incident is that women were allegedly shooting videos of another woman, an act that had left even the law enforcers perplexed.
In the midst of escalating tensions due to protests and pressure on the Congress-led Karnataka government to conduct a thorough investigation, a suo moto case against three girls who allegedly recorded the video has been filed by the police.
The charges brought against the three students and the college management board include offenses related to insulting the modesty of a woman, intentionally omitting to produce a document, destroying electronic records, and acting with common intention.
The police seized the mobile phones of the three girls allegedly involved in shooting of the video. “The phones have been sent to the FSL laboratory in Bengaluru for further examination. A detailed report will be filed by the Udupi police before proceeding further,” explained a senior police officer.
Member and actor-politician Khushbu Sunder from the National Commission for Women (NCW) also visited Udupi to conduct an investigation into the issue and submit her final report to the NCW. She also stressed the NCW’s central focus on protecting women, regardless of their community.
Sundar, accompanied by Udupi district Superintendent of Police Akshay Hakay Machhindra, met with the college management, the victim, and the students involved in the incident as part of the ongoing inquiry.
“We are waiting for the forensic reports to come. The college has submitted a report to the police, and the case has been taken up suo moto on the 25th. We are just three days into the investigation; the forensic reports are vital, and only after we will have clarity. As of now, we have zero evidence,” Sundar told News18.
The NCW member urged people and the media to refrain from giving the incident a communal angle and emphasised the need for a thorough examination of the case before making any deductions.
The Udupi incident escalated further when social activist Rashmi Samanth tweeted about it, flagging a local daily report and questioning the action, and seeking a police probe. The BJP has been using the case to attack the Congress, seeking a detailed probe and questioning the safety of women in the state.
The investigation is still underway, and a comprehensive inquiry is crucial to ensure a fair resolution of the issue.
As of now, the NCW and the police have not found concrete evidence. Though political parties may look at politicising this issue, it once again puts the spotlight on the coastal city that has been a hotbed for controversies, including the hijab issue.
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