MLAs demand impartial probe into alleged voyeurism at Udupi paramedical college

Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna and Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty on Tuesday criticised what they called the indifferent attitude of the Police Department in impartially probing the alleged video recording of a student in the washroom of a paramedical college in Udupi by three of her classmates last week.

Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna and Mangaluru City North MLA Y. Bharath Shetty on Tuesday criticised what they called the indifferent attitude of the Police Department in impartially probing the alleged video recording of a student in the washroom of a paramedical college in Udupi by three of her classmates last week.

While Mr. Suvarna demanded the police to register a suo motu case, Mr. Shetty said people suspect that the mobile phone handsets were changed while being handed over to the police to derail the investigation. Instead of investigating the voyeurism indulged by the three girls, the police is targeting former president of Oxford Students’ Union Rashmi Samant,who tweeted about the incident.

It was nothing but police high-handedness to ‘raid’ her house in Manipal and subject Ms. Samant’s parents to questioning, the MLA said. If the police say there is no evidence to prove voyeurism, why did the college suspend the three girls, he questioned and demanded a probe by a special investigation team.

Mr. Shetty alleged that the Congress soon after coming to power was targeting the BJP stronghold coastal districts and was subjecting Hindu activists to externment, booking false cases like the one attempted on Ms. Samant etc. The government should not create strife environment in the coast, he warned.

Mr. Suvarna alleged that there were unseen hands behind the voyeurism and said the act of three girls has ashamed the district. The alleged voyeurism was an attempt to blackmail the victim, he said criticising the ‘raid’ on Ms. Samant’s house.

Udupi Superintendent of Police Akshay M. Hakay told reporters in Udupi that misinformation was being spread on social media about the alleged voyeurism in the college. The department did not get any information either about placing the hidden camera in the restroom or sharing of the video on social media.

The mobile phones handed over to the police by the college administration were examined and no videos were found. The Police Department’s social media monitoring cell too did not notice any circulation of the alleged voyeurism clips.