Accused in MU toilet camera case gets bail within a day; girl students unhappy

Mangaluru, Sep 16: Within a day after he was arrested on charge of placing mobile camera in the women's toilet of Mangaluru University, M.Sc. student M Santosh Acharya has managed to secure bail.

22-year-old Santosh, a resident of Sullia, was arrested by the police on Wednesday, September 14, after questioning over 80 suspects in connection with the case. Santosh was charged under IT act 66 and Section 354 C. He was sent to judicial custody on the same day. The very next day he secured a bail.

The girl students of the Mangaluru University and their parents are said to be unhappy with the development. There are also some allegations that the case is being taken lightly by the police as there is a hand of a politician behind it.

During interrogation Santosh has confessed that he had kept his second-hand phone on a wooden plank in the ladies washroom of the Biosciences Block. He had drilled a hole on the plank and kept the phone in a way that it could capture images of those coming to the toilet. This mobile was connected to a power bank.

A girl student had noticed the hidden camera on August 24. She immediately informed Bioscience Department faculty Dr Tharavathy N?C, who in turn brought the matter to the notice of Vice Chancellor Prof K?Byrappa. The VC asked Registrar Lokesh K?M to look into the matter.

Prof Lokesh had referred the matter to Sparsh,' a committee in the university that looks into issues related to girl students. The committee headed by Dr Musteri Begaum had reportedly submitted a report to the VC's office on August 28. However, the VC had been to Delhi to attend a meeting on August 28. By the time he returned on August 31, the news had spread. A formal police complaint was filed only on September 1.

Also read: Hidden camera at women's toilet: M.Sc. student Santosh M arrested