CMR College hostel voyeurism case: Two mess workers confessed to peeping into washrooms; arrested

A Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) case has been registered against Chamakura Gopal Reddy, Chairman, CMR Group of Institutions.

This is in connection to the case where allegedly hidden cameras was found in the girls hostel washroom of CMR College of Engineering & Technology, stated a report by The New Indian Express.

Cases were also filed against College Principal Varahabatla Anantha Narayana, College Director Madireddy Janga Reddy, mess workers Nanda Kishore Kumar and Govind Kumar, CMR Campus-II hostel wardens KV Dhanalaxmi and Preethi Reddy.

Two Bihari native mess workers, Nanda Kishore Kumar and Govind Kumar, have also been arrested. Medchal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) N Koti informed that they both confessed to peeping into the washrooms.

The investigation indicated that KV Dhanalaxmi and Allam Preethi Reddy, the hostel wardens, failed to act when students reported the incidents. Instead, they dismissed the complaints, blamed the victims and also made derogatory comments.

College authorities allegedly pressured staff to suppress the incident, according to the report by The New Indian Express.

It may be noted that the mess workers were provided accommodation near the girls’ hostel, facilitating easy access and compromising students' safety and privacy.

In the FIR, the students highlighted several issues in the hostel including:

- Men roaming within hostel premises at night

- Lack of proper security systems

- Insufficient barriers between hostellers and workers’ quarters

- Evidence tampering and suppression of complaints

- Negligent management and inadequate supervision