Udupi washroom case: NCW member rejects communal angle before probe

The investigations are continuing and a comprehensive enquiry is needed.

Without any evidence a charge sheet cannot be filed in court and a case also cannot be made out (by police), actor and member of National Commission for Women (NCW) Khushboo Sundar told media persons at the end of her six-hour long meeting with staff and victim at Netra Jyothi College of Optometry and Paramedical Science on Thursday.

As the college had remained closed on Thursday, only a few students were summoned to the college. Khushboo also inspected the washroom in question.

Read | Udupi washroom case: NCW member Khushbu Sundar visits college

Before visiting the college, Khushboo held discussions with Udupi Superintendent of Police Akshay Hakay on the cases registered against the college and three girl students from a different community, who were said to have placed a mobile camera in a washroom to secretly film a video of their classmate of another religion.

She told mediapersons, waiting outside the college, that the mobile phones seized from three students were sent to FSL in Bengaluru in order to ascertain whether the video clippings were deleted or circulated on social media. Khushboo also clarified that the management had not placed any hidden cameras inside the washroom.

She said rumours like management placing hidden cameras in washrooms were spreading like wildfire on social media. “The investigation into the issue has begun and will take some time to complete,” she said and declined to comment on the ongoing probe. As of now no conclusions have been drawn, Khushboo said.

Khushboo, responding to a query, said she cannot reveal the evidence at this juncture. “As it will take more time to discover the truth, everyone should act responsibly,” and urged media not to follow her team wherever they go. “I am here as a representative of NCW and not to share breaking news. I will not like to answer any political question,” she said.

The issue is not as simple as two-minute noodles. It deals with delicate women’s issues, she said and added that she will leave Udupi after completing the probe.

Police conducted panchanama of the toilet. The college administration had informed Khushboo and later police, that once the women students had apologised and deleted the film, their phones were handed over to police. “My visit to Udupi is not to give communal colour to the issue. NCW is there to protect women’s rights. We are not under any political pressure,” she said.