Udupi washroom filming case: CID trashes communal motive, charge sheet details what transpired

South First had earlier reported that the incident was wrongly being given a communal spin to flare up tensions between communities.

The extensive chargesheet, spanning approximately 1,000 pages and involving statements from around 30 witnesses, was presented by the investigating officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police Anjumala Nayak, to the Principal and Civil Judge at the JMFC Court in Udupi on Tuesday, 19 March. “Throughout our investigation, we found no evidence linking the accused to external organisations, as alleged during post-incident protests,” the Deputy SP told South First.

According to the charge sheet, the three women students, pursuing Optometry at Netra Jyothi College in Udupi, have been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including Sections 204 (destruction of document to prevent its production as evidence), 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 120-B (punishment of criminal conspiracy), and Section 66E under the Information Technology Act (intentionally or knowingly captures, publishes or transmits the image of a private area of any person without consent).

Each of the accused is being charged based on their own confessions and digital evidence gathered by investigators, CID sources informed South First. Despite efforts, much of the deleted footage could not be recovered as it was erased by the three students in the presence of the victim.

Also Read: CID finishes first phase of probe in Karnataka washroom video case

The incident 

The incident unfolded in July 2023 at the Netra Jyothi Institute of Allied Health Sciences in communally sensitive Udupi district. The college suspended three Optometry students on 20 July, following allegations that they recorded a video of a fellow student in the women’s washroom.

College Director Rashmi Krishna Prasad disclosed that the incident occurred on 18 July and it came to light when the videographed student informed her peers, who then notified college administration. The three students faced suspension on two accounts — for violating college rules by bringing a banned mobile phone on campus and recording a fellow student in the washroom.

The Director mentioned during a press conference that the recording was purportedly intended as a “prank” on someone else, with the victim being inadvertently filmed. The recorded video was promptly deleted in the presence of the victim, as confirmed by the college’s Academic Coordinator, Balakrishna.

“The female student who was videographed had given in writing that she did not want to register a complaint. However, we brought the incident to the knowledge of the police and even handed over the seized mobile phone to the cops so that they could examine if any other videos had been taken earlier or forwarded to others,” Balakrishna had told South First earlier.

The involvement of National Commission for Women (NCW) member Khushbu Sundar in the case brought attention to the absence of hidden cameras in the college toilets, debunking rumours spread by certain factions.

Khushbu had visited the college on 27 July, 2023, to probe the incident and look into the allegations levelled by right-wing organisations and her own party, the BJP. She urged the public to disregard fake videos and unfounded allegations regarding hidden cameras.

Also Read: MLA Suvarna miffed over transfer of Udupi college washroom video case to CID

Case transferred to CID

Following political pressure and public outcry, the Karnataka government transferred the case to the CID on 7 August, 2023. The incident, initially viewed through a communal lens due to the religious affiliations of the victim and accused, prompted widespread protests in Udupi.

Despite the absence of a formal complaint from the victim, the Malpe Police initiated a suo motu case on 26 July, with demands from the BJP for the arrest of the accused and an SIT investigation.

During a protest rally on 3 August in Udupi Town, Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) state joint secretary Sharan Pumpwell issued a call to arms for women of the majority community, urging them to take a stand against such occurrences. Meanwhile, Bajrang Dal leader and Udupi district president Dinesh Mendon issued a stark warning to the minority community, cautioning them against a recurrence of past violence.

In response to their inflammatory speeches, the Udupi Police initiated a suo-motu case and investigations are currently in progress.

“We have sent the documentary evidence and the video footage to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis and the reports are awaited,” a senior police officer from the Malpe Police Station told South First.

(Edited by Kamna Revanoor)