A disturbing outbreak, which has serious implications for women’s safety, has been reported in Bengaluru after a pregnant woman stated that a hospital staff member secretly tried to record her inside a restroom at a private hospital on Sarjapur Road.
Due to this case, a complaint has already been registered at Varthur Police Station. As per the complaint lodged by the 36-year-old woman, the incident occurred on the 21st day of May when she visited a private hospital on Sarjapur Road.
Exiting the restroom on hospital property, she saw an employee acting weirdly near the washroom area, reports the woman. It was apparently an employee using a mobile phone to secretly photograph from inside the bathroom. She was very suspicious that her own private moments might have been on camera, so she ran to confront the man at once about his actions.
The hospital staff reportedly fled the spot once he saw he was seen. A pregnant woman, the woman informed the police of her severe mental stress and fear, as well as humiliation and emotional distress after the incident, according to her complaint.
She added that police should take legal action not only against the wrongdoer or the alleged employee, but also against the hospital's management for improper safety and privacy protocols for women patients who were inside the facility. Under the complaint, Varthur police officers had listed a case against the accused staff and the hospital in general under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Information Technology Act.
The charges reportedly include Section 77 for voyeurism and secret recording, Section 79 for insulting the modesty of a woman and Section 62 for attempt to commit an offence. Police have also claimed rights under the IT Act, triggered by the claimed use of a mobile phone for illegal recording.
Senior police officials said in a preliminary investigation that no pictures or videos were immediately found on the accused’s mobile device. However, investigators believe that content from the encounter could have been deleted. The mobile phone is being confiscated and referred to the forensic science laboratory (FSL) for appropriate evaluation.
Police have also posted notices on the two suspects as well as on the hospital's administration. It is also another occasion that has raised alarm over women’s safety even in locations entrusted with caring and protection, like hospitals. The case has also reignited memories of an earlier incident at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in a cricket tournament.
From that February crime, a woman from Yelahanka was allegedly watched secretly in a restroom and a person who was not named contacted her using a mobile phone via social media to blackmail and demand funds on Instagram, according to news reports from around India. That case is continuing to be investigated by the cybercrime police.
Worries over alleged voyeurism, as repeated in public places – from hospitals to physical venues including sports pitches – have led citizens to express worries about women in Bengaluru as in the past. According to forensic findings and witness statements, an ongoing investigation should continue, authorities said, and further legal action should be taken.
