The very threat of a spy camera being installed in women’s washrooms and trial/ changing rooms is in itself a huge obstacle in women safety and privacy. However, what further aggravates this issue is the use of such spy cameras in the porn industry. With technological advancement, covert digital devices equipped with increased powers makes this connection between use of spy cameras in washrooms or apparel changing rooms and the porn industry becomes that much more proximate. Detecting such devices, whose size continues to reduce is becoming increasingly difficult. There is an unsettling link between spy cameras at public washrooms, apparel trial rooms and the porn industry. The issue therefore is not only of women safety and privacy being put at risk, but also of potential violation of the bodily integrity of women. This is something that the policymakers and law enforcement agencies cannot ignore. The police departments across the country must seriously consider constituting special cells to tackle this issue, and must also hold surprise inspections in order to punish those indulging in such pervert behaviour.
In what has brought into limelight a big threat to women safety and privacy, a shocking incident has been reported from Pune, the local Police has booked the staffer of a plush restaurant for installing a camera in the women’s washroom. The police has booked him under Section 511 (punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment) of the Indian Penal Code and Section 72 of the Information Technology Act, after a woman discovered the hidden mobile camera in the women’s washroom of the restaurant.
The woman in question took to social media narrating her ordeal. She said, “So we went to this place called BeHive Cafe in Pune. We found a camera fitted inside a women’s washroom. On addressing this issue to management, they asked us to wait outside and the camera was gone within 10 minutes.” She also said, “Complaining to management was of no use it seems because excellent staff there kept on making excuses about finding culprit and the phone camera but no efforts were made. On being repeatedly asked and ruckus been made in the cafe, the manager tried to bribe us by saying, ‘What do you guys want?’ The phone and the culprit dammit! Excellent support Behiveindia.” She added, “This is what we deserve in respect of safety and privacy in the washroom at least. Now even such huge cafes are not safe and women inside the washrooms are being recorded. Being a girl, I will always be afraid of using public space washroom and check 100 times for any such thing.”
What is even more shocking is that the concerned woman has disclosed that the restaurant got her review deleted from Zomato without her permission. This shows the audacity of the perpetrator of such a perverse act whose actions imperilled the safety and privacy of a number of women. And it is not just about the audacity of the individual who committed this act, but also shows sheer negligence, or in fact indifference on the part of a major brand like Zomato, which did not feel the need to take action against the concerned restaurant and bring the matter into public glare. Rather, Zomato chose to delete the review of the woman who had discovered the camera in the washroom without even consulting her, leave alone the question of taking her permission.
This is not the first time that the issue of use of spy cameras with a perversive intention has shaken the conscience of the nation. In the year 2015, Union Minister Smriti Irani had spotted a camera in the changing room of the popular clothing brand, FabIndia’s store in Goa. The local MLA, Michael Lobo, in whose constituency the store was situated had said, “I along with the police are scanning the store’s hard disk right now. The camera is in a very mischievous place and there is footage of women changing clothes for the past three to four months.” This had obviously exposed how spy cameras at changing rooms could imperil the safety of women customers at the clothing stores.
Safety and privacy at changing rooms and washrooms is one of such basic human rights to which every individual is entitled. It is disgusting and shameful that women of the country have to think twice even before entering washrooms and changing stores. It is the obligation of the State and the society to provide an atmosphere of complete safety and privacy to the women of the country. A sense of fear should be created among the potential offenders to deter them from imperelling, and even violating, the safety and privacy of women. The casual approach of the restaurant management in the present case shows a sense of carelessness that emanates out of a lack of fear of law. The present incident in Pune, which has generated a huge outrage on social media must be taken seriously by the concerned authorities and one hopes that concrete action is taken to get rid of this menace..