The police have filed a case against the three students (Representational)
Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Wednesday said a controversy involving three students accused of surreptitiously recording a video in the women's toilet at a private professional training college in Udupi, Karnataka was "a small incident blown out of proportion".
The incident came to light last week when an alert student discovered a mobile phone in the toilet and brought it to the attention of the college administration. While an investigation into the device revealed no compromising content, the student declined to file a police report.
However, the college administration reported the incident to the police and suspended the three on Sunday.
The case took a political twist when Rashmi Samant, a local right-wing activist, posted a tweet claiming the three accused students, said to be Muslim, had circulated videos of hundreds of Hindu girls on the internet.
Following the tweet, police officers descended upon Ms Samant's residence. Her absence during the questioning led to her family members being interrogated.
The incident sparked a wave of tweets from right-wing organisations and the opposition BJP accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of taking oppressive measures. Ms Samant's lawyers also questioned the legality of the police actions.
In response, Udupi District Superintendent of Police HA Machindra categorically denied the social media allegations. He stated, "Not a single video connected to this case has been uploaded on the internet. On the contrary, old videos have been wrongfully edited and uploaded, falsely linking them to this case."
Acting of its own accord, the Malpe police registered a case, and a First Information Report (FIR) was filed on Wednesday against the three students.
Amidst the turmoil, an alternative theory has emerged, suggesting that the mobile phone was planted in the washroom as part of a prank intended for a friend. This misadventure spiralled out of control when another student found the device.
Confronted with the device, the accused reportedly deleted the video on the spot. The matter was deemed resolved until the student informed her family, leading to the subsequent suspension of the three women.
Karnataka Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara appeared to back the theory, saying, "That is a small incident. Reports say it happened amongst friends. Should it be blown out of proportion and given a political colour?"
"Weren't these things happening in the past? Weren't these things happening in the past in colleges and universities? No one did politics then, why are they doing it now?" he added.
Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of the BJP countered him, slamming the Home Minister for "taking it lightly". His party has also announced a protest in Udupi on Saturday.
"If that was a small case, then why was an FIR registered and what about the confessional letter by the accused girls? Why were those girls suspended? He (Parameshwara) should answer these questions," Mr Bommai told reporters.
"How many cases will you (government) cover up? How many girls' modesty would have been at stake with these videos? Such forces should be punished severely. Police should function independently without succumbing to any pressure," he said, demanding that "the officers who are at fault in the case should be punished."