Kolkata, April 27: Nine employees including manager of a water sports park have been arrested following allegations that closed circuit cameras were installed in its women’s changing room, police said on Monday, weeks after union minister Smriti Irani spotted such devices at a store in Goa.
A woman, who had gone to the changing room of Aquatica on Sunday, raised her voice in protest after allegedly finding CCTVs there.
However, when she went to the management along with her husband, they were said to have been pushed and threatened by the bouncers and other employees.
Hearing the commotion, locals and other women rushed to the spot and there ensured another scuffle with the bouncers. The enraged people then caught hold of the manager, who was later rescued from the mob and arrested. Another employee was also taken held the same day.
“Two people including the manager were arrested on Sunday. They were presented before the court which sent them to four days of police custody on Monday. Six bouncers and another employee was arrested on Monday,” said a police officer.
Police have also seized cctv cameras from the water sports park, while forensic experts would visit the spot on Tuesday.
Police said the bouncers were arrested in connection with allegations that they misbehaved with women, while the employees were picked up for being purportedly involved in the installation of the CCTV cameras.
However, Aquatica CEO Manshu Tandan claimed there was no hidden camera in the amusement park.
“Instead there is CCTV cameras which were focused towards locker room. Also as Aquatica is under renovation, we have extended the gents locker room and converted it into ladies locker room.
“This work was completed late in the night on Thursday,” said Tandan.
The official said the cameras are looked after by a third party which was asked to remove the cameras but the work was not done because of the weekend.
“We would also like to make it clear that we had no bad intention. It’s just a mistake that the non operational camera was not removed due to manpower shortage.”
The official claimed the hard disc of the camera was handed over to police for investigation.
The incident comes over three weeks after union Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani spotted a CCTV camera inside a changing room of a Fabindia store in Goa. (IANS)
