Kochi: A 23-year-old male IT professional was apprehended by the police on Wednesday for allegedly entering a women’s restroom in a prominent mall while wearing a burqa and recording videos using his mobile phone.
The accused, identified as a B.Tech graduate, has been charged under sections 354(C) (Voyeurism) and 419 (Impersonation) of the IPC, along with Section 66 E of the Information Technology Act, all on the same day as the incident, as stated by the authorities.
Following his arrest, he was presented before a local court which subsequently remanded him to 14 days of judicial custody, as confirmed by an official from Kalamassery police station.
The incident transpired at Lulu Mall here on Wednesday. The accused, employed in a leading IT firm situated at the Info park in the area, allegedly disguised himself by wearing a burqa and entering a women’s restroom. Inside, he positioned his mobile phone within the restroom and concealed it using a small cardboard box. He had ingeniously created a hole in the box to facilitate the camera’s recording of visuals, which he then affixed to the restroom door, according to police sources.
Once the camera was in place, the suspect exited the restroom and stood near its main entrance. Acting upon his suspicious behavior, the mall’s security staff promptly alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and initiated questioning of the accused.
Subsequent inquiries revealed that the individual had indeed disguised himself as a woman and was illicitly recording activities within the restroom using his mobile phone. Consequently, both the burqa and the mobile phone employed by the accused were confiscated, and he was taken into custody.
An investigating officer disclosed that efforts are ongoing to determine whether the accused had engaged in similar unlawful activities elsewhere in the past.
