Discovery of ‘hidden camera’ in girls’ toilet at college sparks student protests

Protests erupted on Thursday and continued through night as campus reverberated with chants of ‘we want justice’

File. Indian demonstrators shout slogans and wave placards during a protest calling for better safety for women (AFP via Getty Images)

Protests have erupted at a college in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh after a hidden camera was reportedly discovered in a girls’ hostel bathroom.

Students at SR Gudlavalleru Engineering College in the state’s Krishna district staged a protest after they said they discovered a hidden camera, which they allege had been recording videos that have gone on to be sold.

The state government has ordered an investigation into the matter.

Andhra Pradesh’s human resources development minister, Nara Lokesh posted on X: “I have ordered an inquiry on the hidden cameras allegations. Stringent action will be taken against the culprits and people responsible.”

He added: “I directed officials to ensure that these kinds of incidents do not recur in colleges.”

Late on Thursday, NDTV reported that hundreds of students gathered on the campus and chanted “We want justice” as they demanded accountability.

A group of female students reportedly found the hidden camera in their restroom on Thursday evening, causing immediate alarm and distress among the students.

The discovery soon sparked a protest that began at around 7pm and continued through the night.

Videos and photos from the college showed hundreds of distressed female students, holding up mobile phone torches and shouting slogans for justice.

The Hindustan Times reported that the police arrested a senior student from the boys’ hostel in connection with the incident. His laptop and mobile phone have been seized, but no leaked videos have been discovered so far.

Police have played down the incident, questioning whether a hidden camera was really found and referring to the spread of “rumours”.

“We did not find any cameras hidden in the girls’ hostels during our probe. We searched the suspected student laptops, mobile phones and other devices in front of the students and college staff. No videos were found. Girl students need not worry,” SP Gandadhar Rao, a senior police official from Krishna district, told the reporters.

The female students are reportedly unconvinced by the police statement.

Earlier this month, customers at a popular coffee shop in Bengaluru discovered a phone hidden in the women’s washroom dustbin, allegedly used to record videos.

A content creator brought the incident to light, revealing that the camera was concealed in a bag with a hole, continuously recording footage.

This comes in the wake of massive protests in Kolkata in eastern India after the brutal rape and murder of a resident doctor during her 36-hour shift at a prominent state-run hospital, triggering conversations across the country as a whole about the way women are treated.