Udupi Nursing Student Videotaped in College Washroom: It’s Now A Police vs Activist Fight

Rashmi Samant, a social activist who used a social media platform to voice her objection against the way the Udupi Police handled a case wherein three second-year nursing college students were suspended for recording another female student in the toilet using a hidden camera, has alleged that her family is facing police harassment.

The incident took place on July 19 at a private eye hospital and nursing college in Udupi. In their defence, the college authorities said that despite the victim’s hesitancy to file a police complaint, they alerted the police and handed over the mobile phone used to record the video.

Comparing the Udupi incident with that of the 1992 Ajmer incident, Samant had expressed her concerns in a series of tweets, quoting a news article to raise awareness and prevent other “unsuspecting” girls from falling into such traps and experiencing devastating consequences such as suicide.

In the Ajmer case, hundreds of school-going and college girls were blackmailed with nude photographs and gang-raped by men from the minority community.

‘PERPETRATORS SHOULD NOT GO SCOT-FREE’

“The perpetrators should not go scot-free. The Udupi Police have not sent the phone for a forensic check, and they claim the girl has deleted the video, closing the matter. With today’s technology, videos and photos can be retrieved from phones when submitted to a forensic laboratory, allowing experts to check if it was circulated on various platforms or if it can be retrieved before deletion. When asked why this was not done, the police don’t seem to have an answer,” said Samant, who spoke exclusively to News18.

Samant detailed how her family and she faced harassment from the local police, with her elderly parents being subjected to unnecessary interrogation, simply because she expressed concern over the incident and tried to bring it to the attention of the mainstream media. “The police sent a jeep with officers to my house late last night and questioned my parents, making it an interrogation and subjecting them to mental trauma,” she said.

COLLEGE MANAGEMENT DOWNPLAYED THE INCIDENT?

The college management has also faced criticism for dismissing the act as a prank and deleting the video in the victim’s presence.

“They are trying to downplay the issue by calling it a prank. A prank can be making a funny video. Placing a video camera in the toilet is a pre-meditated crime. I tweeted a news article aimed at amplifying the incident and highlighting it. As I belong to Udupi, I felt strongly about it,” said Samant.

The All College Student Power, a right-wing student organization, has filed a police complaint accusing the college management of attempting to downplay the incident and only imposing suspension on the accused students, despite a breach of the college’s ban on mobile phones, in addition to the videotaping.

REFRAIN FROM POSTING COMMENTS THAT COULD CAUSE CONFUSION, WARN POLICE

During the media interaction, Udupi SP Akshay Machindra clarified that their team has not found any definitive evidence, including photos, videos, or content on the mobile phones of the accused women.

The senior police officer emphasised that they are thoroughly examining the issue of blackmail and video leaks and will take appropriate action.

He further said that the college authorities had privately conducted inquiries according to their rules and had found a handwritten note, allegedly written by the accused women, stating the act was intended “for fun”.

“Let us refrain from posting ideas or videos that could create confusion in people’s minds. If there is any documentary evidence, please share it and cooperate with the police investigation. It is wrong to propagate false information, especially through social media,” warned Machindra.

The Udupi police assert that they have been vigilant in monitoring social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp to prevent the spread of misinformation. They assert that the incident is an isolated one within the college and has no communal angle to it. A thorough investigation was conducted, and the police found no evidence of the alleged video being shared for “suspicious reasons”. Furthermore, the victim expressed reluctance to file a formal police complaint, which limited the police’s options.

BJP SEEKS IMMEDIATE ARREST OF ACCUSED WOMEN

Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, along with several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, has urged the police to take up the issue suo motu and “arrest the accused immediately”.

Urging for a thorough investigation, Suvarna told News18 that the incident has also raised the suspicion of a conspiracy and the possible involvement of jihadi organizations. He added that he would discuss the matter with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, demanding a fair and thorough investigation.

“I am also concerned that such incidents tarnish the reputation of Udupi district, which is known for its academic excellence and respect for women,” Suvarna said.

Several BJP leaders have also tweeted about the incident, calling for a detailed probe.

According to the local BJP unit, the three suspended students are from the Muslim community, while the victim belongs to the Hindu community, which could potentially escalate communal tensions if not investigated.

“Udupi district has witnessed escalating communal tensions, including the highly contentious hijab ban controversy in Karnataka, leading to protests in the region,” said a senior police officer in charge of law and order in the region, while emphasising the importance of focusing on a thorough investigation.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Congress tweeted, “When will BJP break the silence about the genuine news of ABVP president shooting obscene video of Hindu girl students in Tirthahalli, which has created fake news of “video shooting of female students” in Udupi college? @BJP4Karnataka, who was going to mix salt, salt and spices to use the children’s activities of female students for political gain, our Daksha Police has made an investigation without delay and revealed the truth.”