On August 10, 2024, a Bengaluru woman discovered a mobile phone concealed in the dustbin of a women's washroom at the Third Wave Coffee outlet on BEL Road. The phone was set to flight mode and positioned to record video for approximately two hours, with the camera exposed through a hole in the dustbin bag, facing the toilet seat .

The employee responsible, identified as a 23-year-old Manoj from Shivamogga, had been working at the outlet for six months. Upon discovery, the café management promptly called the police. Manoj was arrested under Section 77 (voyeurism) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act.

Coffee expressed deep regret over the incident and stated that such behavior is completely unacceptable. It reacted swiftly by firing Manoj, the employee involved, and reassured customers of their strict zero-tolerance policy and commitment to safety.

The police confiscated Manoj's phone for further investigation. It was found that the phone had been recording for 1 hour and 40 minutes, but no people were visible in the footage. Manoj confessed to placing the camera and claimed this was the only video he had made. However, police are still checking his other devices.