TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Fabindia’s Candolim branch was sealed on Friday after Union Human Resource Development Minister Smriti Irani complained that a CCTV camera was aimed at the trial room and recording footage of people changing.
Irani who was shopping at the store, along with her husband Zubin Irani, noticed the camera and walked out of the trial room complaining of the camera. She then called up Calangute MLA Michael Lobo who rushed to the store and filed a police complaint. The CCTV camera was installed on the wall against a foot-high ventilation gap on the side of the trial room cubicle, about four months ago.
Four employees of the store were arrested and a First Information Report under sections 354 (outraging modesty of a woman), 354 (C) (voyeurism) and 509 (intrusion into privacy) read with section 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, and 66 E of the Information Technology Act was registered and the case transferred to Crime Branch (CB) for thorough probe.
Police noted down the statement of the Union minister and another woman who had used the trial room just before her.
The four who have been arrested are Paresh Bhagat (26), a native of Kudal in Maharashtra, Raju Payanache (24) of Belgaum (Karnataka), Prashant Naik (20) from Verem and Karim Lakhani (24) from Khorlim. They are being interrogated to gather more details in the case.
The store manager – a lady – is however absconding. Crime Branch SP Kartik Kashyap said the manager would most likely be arrested on Saturday to investigate her involvement, if any, in the case.
“The recordings from the hidden camera were saved in the computer in the store manager’s room. The four constantly monitored all the recordings in the changing room. The store manager has been on two days leave, which included today (Friday). Our search is on to locate her whereabouts,” Kashyap told Herald.
Lobo, who reached the crime scene soon after he was called by Irani, who was the Goa BJP in charge before she became a Union minister, alleged that the store employees had saved recordings of other people while trying on clothes in the changing room. Kashyap said police will seize the CCTV footage of the showroom to verify whether such objectionable images were recorded there as well.
With this incident, Fabindia’s stores in other parts of the State have also come under police scrutiny, officials say.
Fabindia CEO Subrata Datta, Managing Director William Bissel and the Regional Managers are among other top officials of the largest retail chain, who will be summoned for questioning. “We will issue them summons to appear before us for questioning,” the CB officer said.
Speaking to news agencies, Bissel said there are security cameras in all the stores but not in trial rooms. “They cannot see what is happening inside the trial room. The cameras are routinely placed in places where shoplifting can occur,” he said.
Earlier, North Goa SP Umesh Gaonkar said that the store has maintained recordings of other victims, changing clothes in the trial room. “Before she (Irani) went in the changing room, another lady had tried on clothes there. We have recorded statements of three witnesses and handed over the case to crime branch,” he said.
The store in Candolim has now been sealed and the hard disk, where the recordings are saved, seized for investigation.
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“Goa gttg (getting) in news once again for the wrong reasons. Now its CCTV footage in the trial room spotted by HRD Minister in Fabindia, Calangute!!”
Porvorim MLA Rohan Khaunte tweet
“What happened at Fabindia is shameful and shocking. State governments all over the country should immediately seal all Fabindia outlets. The Goa government should carry out a massive drive to inspect changing rooms, trial rooms and wash rooms used by women in the State considering this incident.”
Congress general secretary Sunil Kawthankar
