A disturbing incident has come to light at an engineering college in Andhra Pradesh, where a hidden camera was discovered in the women’s hostel washroom. The camera had been secretly recording videos of the students, which were later leaked and sold to some students, officials said.

The incident at Gudlavalleru Engineering College in Krishnan district has sparked outrage among students and the local community.

A group of female students stumbled upon the concealed camera in their washroom yesterday evening, setting off immediate alarm and distress. The discovery led to a chaotic scene as students organised a protest that began around 7 pm and continued till today morning. Their chants of “We want justice” echoed through the campus as they demanded answers and accountability.

The police have arrested a senior student from the boys’ hostel, identified as Vijay Kumar, a BTech final year student, in connection with the incident. His laptop has been seized, and further investigation is underway.

According to reports, over 300 photos and videos from the women’s hostel washroom were leaked, and some students had purchased these videos from Vijay.

The presence of the hidden camera and the subsequent leak of sensitive footage have left many female students shaken. Many have expressed fear and discomfort about using the washroom facilities, with some even avoiding the area altogether.

Police said that investigation is on and they are yet to ascertain if more students were involved in setting up the camera and distribution of the videos.

Earlier this month, customers at a famous coffee shop in Bengaluru had discovered a phone hidden in the women’s washroom dustbin to record videos. The incident was brought to light by a content creator who said found the camera in the bag which had a hole in it and was constantly recording a video.

Another FIR has been registered against actor Jayasurya following the complaint of an actress.

Kerala Police informed ANI, “Second FIR registered against actor Jayasurya under 354, 354A(A1)(I) 354D IPC. The case was registered after the complainant’s statement was recorded. FIR has been registered in Thiruvananthapuram and will be transferred to Thodupuzha Police Station.”

After the Hema Committee report came out, some women from the Malayalam film industry came forward with charges of sexual harassment.

On Thursday, actress Sonia Malhar addressed the issue and revealed shocking incidents of mistreatment and exploitation during the initial years of her career.

Read: Rape Case Against MLA And Actor Mukesh: Mollywood #MeToo Top Developments

While speaking to ANI, she said, “I entered the industry in 2013 and after doing one or two films, there was an incident on a film set. The shoot was in Thodupuzha. When I arrived on location, I noticed that, unlike the usual practice where junior artists are not introduced to the lead actors, I received some respect because of my social work background. Even the director came up to me and shook my hand, which is not typical. He then introduced me to the lead actor and actress.”

She continued to share, “I was asked to go for makeup and change into my costume. They mentioned there was a slight change in the location. The makeup and costume room, along with toilet facilities, were in an old building nearby. When I went to the toilet and came back, someone unexpectedly held me. I was terrified and he later apologized.”

“After that incident, I faced many difficulties. In films, I was working on, the payments were delayed, and I was replaced after the film was announced in newspapers and on TV. After this news spread, a role that was promised to me was given to someone else,” she added.

Sonia Malhar said that she decided to come out with this allegation when she came to know that an actress from other states also had such bad experiences and she felt shame.

“It is shameful that a woman from another state cannot even be shown the respect she deserves. When a woman speaks out against the head of the Film Academy, one would expect some shame,” she added.

She shared that after the Hema Committee report came out, “the silence from many people” deeply “hurt” her.

On August 28, first FIR was registered against actor and CPI (M) MLA from Kollam, Mukesh M, following the complaint of actress Minu Muneer.

Kerala Police informed ANI on Thursday, “FIR has been registered against actor Mukesh, CPI (M) MLA from Kollam constituency. The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of an actress.”

The police also added that another FIR has been registered against Actor Jayasurya on the complaint of the same actress, under section 354 which deals with intent to outrage modesty.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) has taken the statement of the actress yesterday (Wednesday).”

Ms Muneer has accused actors Mukesh M, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu of both verbal and physical abuse during their collaborations on film projects.

Speaking to ANI, Ms Muneer detailed her experiences, alleging a range of misconduct. “Once, as I was coming out from the toilet, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully… After that, Idavela Babu expressed his interest in a sexual relationship with me,” she claimed.

She further described troubling interactions with Maniyanpilla Raju, including inappropriate suggestions regarding her hotel accommodation.

The allegations surfaced shortly after the resignation of director Ranjith and actor Siddique from their positions in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), following separate accusations against them.

Ms Muneer’s allegations were initially shared on her Facebook page, where she recounted a series of incidents dating back to 2013.

“I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Jayasurya, Advocate Chandrasekharan, production controller Noble and Vichu,” Ms Muneer wrote.

She stated that the abuse led her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)