Hostel owner booked for installation of cameras near toilets

Bharatpur (Raj), June 9: The woman owner of the girls' hostel, where CCTV cameras were found installed near three toilets, has been booked and the building was sealed by police.

Shalu Satija, aged around 30 years, was booked under section 354 of IPC (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) in the FIR lodged late last night by Minority Department officer Prem Singh.

Shalu along with her husband Pankaj was running the hostel, SHO Mathura Gate, Virendra Kumar Sharma said. Police sealed the hostel and the cameras and seized the laptop used by Pankaj.

"The seized equipment will be examined by forensic science laboratory experts to ascertain if any video was shot in the bathrooms using the cameras or (the video) misused," he added.

The FIR has been lodged by the Minority department as the hostel was recognised by the department. Following complaints, District Collector Neeraj K Pawan conducted a surprise raid at Om Sai Nath Hostel in Mathura Gate area yesterday and found CCTV cameras installed near three bathrooms, Sharma said.

The cameras were installed at such locations that the activities of the bathrooms' users could be captured by moving its direction, the police official said.

A total 14 girls stayed in the hostel, he said. Following the incident, eight of them shifted to another hostel whereas six have been taken back home by their guardians, Sharma said, adding, the girls were preparing for competitive exams.

PTI