Union Minister Smriti Irani leaving outside the Fabindia outlet in Goa, where she claims to have found a camera positioned to record inside the trial rooms. (Press Trust of India)
A court in Goa has granted bail to the four employees of ethnic lifestyle brand Fabindia, who were arrested yesterday after allegations made by the Union Minister Smriti Irani - who claimed to have discovered a CCTV camera trained towards the trial room in the store's Candolim outlet.
The woman store manager, who the police claim is untraceable, has applied for an anticipatory bail in the court earlier today.
They have also summoned William Bissel, Chief Executive Officer of the company, who claims he is yet to receive the the notice.
Senior executives of ethnic lifestyle brand Fabindia "are on their way to Goa and will be present during the investigation," said the company in a press statement today.
Lawyer representing Fabindia, Advocate Raju Paulekar, argued that the police had booked the store employees under tougher laws because it was a high profile case.
"Section 354 of the IPC opens with two words - assault and criminal force. In this case it is inappicalble. There is a Supreme Court judgment also which says that the police should not arrest people randomly, but give them an opportunity to explain themselves," said Mr Paulekar.
They also told the court that the camera was meant to avoid shop lifting. "Images captured, go into the DVR and the output is shown on a monitor. It is not a spy or a hidden camera. It was placed to capture people going into the trial room to prevent shop lifting."
BJP legislator of Goa, Michael Lobo - who filed an FIR with the police - claims that the footage from the camera, including that of Ms Irani, was found recorded on a computer as the store.
A case had been filed with the local police, who booked them for voyeurism, intrusion into privacy and also capturing, publishing image of private area of any person without consent.