After Hijab issue in 2022 Udupi on headline for Voyeurism College Incident Sparks Outrage and Controversy

Udupi: In a recent incident reported in Udupi, a college was engulfed in controversy when it was alleged that three Muslim women students secretly recorded their fellow Hindu female students in the restroom and shared the footage on social media. The news spread like wildfire, causing widespread outrage across the state.

Following the incident, the college's governing body conducted a thorough inquiry and subsequently suspended the three accused students.

However, Udupi Superintendent of Police, Akshay Hakay Machindra, held a press conference to refute the allegations. He stated that after a thorough investigation, no evidence of a hidden camera or such activity was found. There were also no indications of blackmail or unauthorized distribution of sensitive content. The video in question was not found, and any claims suggesting a link with other unrelated issues were deemed baseless.

The incident took a political turn when both the BJP and Congress parties got involved. The BJP criticized the police's actions, accusing them of using force against those who raised their voice against the case. They insinuated that the Congress-led state government was behind this alleged police intimidation strategy.

On the other hand, left-wing media outlets Alt News refuted the occurrence of the incident, referring to the statements made by the Udupi Police District Officer. Zubair even tagged the police in a tweet requesting action against Rashmi Samant, a social activist who had previously condemned the incident. In response, the police visited Rashmi's home.

Udupi MLA, Yashpal Suvarna, condemned the police visit, considering it an attempt by the state government to suppress social activists and those speaking out against the alleged incident.

The entire situation has now become polarized, with netizens expressing their outrage and frustration over the conflicting narratives presented by different parties involved.

Rave on Social media:

Following an incident of alleged voyeurism involving three girls at a paramedical college in Udupi, social media erupted with posts from right-wing rights activists on Tuesday, naming the accused girls and seeking police action.

The situation took a communal turn when certain Pro-Hindu Twitter handles identified the accused girls as members of the Muslim community, emphasizing their alleged targeting of Hindu girls in their posts. However, Udupi SP Akshay M Hakay clarified that the college had already addressed the issue, and the videos were not circulated as claimed. The accused girls admitted to engaging in voyeurism for "fun" purposes, but the content was promptly deleted when the victims objected. Consequently, the college suspended the girls, and the victims decided not to escalate the matter with a police complaint.

Numerous BJP leaders, including CT Ravi and MLA Yashpal Suvarna, came to the defense of the right-wing rights activist, Rashmi Samant. They accused the Congress-led state government of attempting to silence the voices of right-wing activists. MLA Yashpal Suvarna visited Rashmi's residence in Manipal and met with her parents, condemning the alleged police harassment of the activist instead of focusing on the girls involved in voyeurism.

On Monday, Delhi-based advocate Adhitya Srinivasan tweeted about the police visit to Rashmi's residence, stating that her tweets condemning the secret video recording of Hindu girls in a college toilet were a fair exercise of her freedom of speech.

It's noteworthy that Rashmi Samant was the first Indian woman elected as the president of the Oxford Student Union, but she had to resign shortly after due to controversies surrounding her past remarks and social media posts.

Addressing the police visit, authorities clarified that they were verifying whether the Twitter posts belonged to Rashmi or were created by someone else using her handle. The college director, Dr. Rashmi Krishna Prasad, confirmed that immediate punitive action was taken against the three girls by suspending them from the college.