Magistrate grants advance bail to three accused in Udupi voyeurism case
Udupi: A Judicial Magistrate First Class Court in Udupi on July 28 granted advance bail to three women students of Netra Jyothi Institute of Allied Health Sciences at Kadekar accused of indulging in voyeurism on their collegemate.
The Malpe police had on July 25 registered an FIR against Shabnaz, Alfia, and Aleema, second year students of diploma in optometry at the college and the college management under Sections 509 (acts intended to outrage modesty of woman), 204 (destruction of evidence), 175 (omission to produce document or electronic record) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 66 (E) (capturing, publishing or transmitting the image of private area of any person) of the Information Technology Act.
While the incident allegedly happened in the college washroom on July 18, students held a protest in the campus on July 20 during which time Malpe Police Sub-Inspector G.B. Sushma visited the spot. Protests erupted after Udupi Superintendent of Police Akshay M. Hakay on July 25 said that the videos were not circulated and the police could not register a suo motu case. After the college management held a press conference the same day admitting the incident, the FIR was registered at the night.
The accused girls approached the court through advocate Asadullah Katpady and the first Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Shyam Prakash granted advance bail with the condition of executing Rs20,000 bond and a surety each. He directed them to cooperate in the investigation and to be present in the court in future hearings of the case. The accused were also directed not to threaten the victim or the witnesses.
Katpady told the judge that the accused have surrendered before the court before seeking the advance bail in the case registered by the Malpe police.
