Two arrested for allegedly filming female students in washrooms; Hyderabad college principal among 7 booked

Two individuals were arrested and the principal booked after female students at a private engineering college in Medchal, Hyderabad, accused kitchen staff of filming them in hostel washrooms.

New Delhi: After female students of a private engineering college in Medchal near Hyderabad staged protests accusing kitchen staff of filming them in hostel washrooms, two individuals were arrested and the principal was booked.

The accused, both 20-year-old men, were detained for allegedly spying on students in washrooms. One of them worked as a kitchen assistant. They were remanded to judicial custody on Saturday. The police have filed a case against seven individuals, including the principal, director, and chairman of the institution.

The case has been registered under various charges, including voyeurism, abetment, several relevant IPC sections, and the POCSO Act. The Cyberabad Police Commissionerate revealed that the accused targeted female hostel residents while they were using the washrooms. The suspects were accommodated near the girls' hostel washrooms, which made it easy for them to access the area, putting the privacy and security of underage victims at risk.

Hostel wardens were accused of acting negligently when victims reported the incidents. Instead of notifying the police and parents, they avoided taking action. The institution's leadership was also criticized for pressuring wardens to cover up the incident in a bid to protect the college's image. This enabled the accused to continue engage in their lewd acts.