Andhra: 3 cameramen booked for filming woman constable while changing her clothes
Andhra Pradesh police have booked three cameramen working for different news channels for allegedly filming a woman constable while she was changing her clothes inside a room. The woman constable complained to her higher authorities claiming that the cameramen of some media channels shot a video of her while she was changing dress inside a room. She had come from Ongole PTC for assembly bandobast duty and was given accommodation at Mandadam ZPH school in Amaravati with other women.
The woman constable told ANI, "As my health is not good, I came to the room. When I was about to change my dress, I saw a camera in the window. I immediately hid in a corner. Meanwhile, some people came and said sorry. I immediately came out and informed our madam. I complained to the Superintendent of Police."
"Action must be taken against them. I asked two children to stand at the door while I was changing but they left as they were playing. Then a man peeped inside the room, without knocking the door. He said sorry, but he should not have done like that. Action must be taken," she added.
The police have filed a case against all three cameramen under section 354C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and under provisions of the Nirbhaya act. Srilakshmi, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Tenali has been made the investigating officer for this case.
DSP Tenali stated that the cameramen did not take permission to enter inside the schoolroom where the woman constable was changing her clothes. She said, "This morning at around 11:30, cameramen of three channels went there and shot a video of the woman constable while she was changing her dress. They recorded the video through the window of that room."
"Tulluru Police Station immediately responded collected videos and photos that were shot by the three men. A case has been filed against them under the Nirbhaya act. They did not even take the permission to enter the school. We did not understand why they shot a video like that. It is a crime, action will be definitely taken," she added.
Prem Kajal, another woman DSP, Visakhapatnam said that the women police officers have extended solidarity to the victim.
"We create awareness about women safety. We fight against sexual abuse or indecent behaviour against women but one of our women constable, one of our member of the police family has been trolled indecently. One female constable's private act has been recorded and further, it is being made viral on social media. We the women police officers extend solidarity to that female constable, we all stand by her," said Kajal.
Sarita, Additional Superintendent of Police (SP), CID condemned the incident and said that media has a great responsibility to create awareness regarding the atrocities against women.
"We never expected such behaviour from media persons against a woman, that too a woman constable. This is a very indecent behaviour. We never expected such things from media, the fourth estate. I feel ashamed. Media should create awareness in the public, but what they did is very shameful and highly condemnable," she said.
Reacting to it, Headmaster Koteswara Rao of Mandadam ZP High School said, "We have 23 rooms and 12 sections in the school and we allotted the empty classrooms for the lady constables who have come on assembly duty. It is completely unacceptable for the things done by the media people towards a lady constable."
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