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Karnataka minister questions NCW’s visit to Udupi after video triggers row
Khushbu Sundar arrived in Udupi on Wednesday to inquire about the incident where a girl was reportedly filmed on a mobile phone by fellow female students in the college washroom.
Karnataka home minister G Parameshwara on Thursday questioned the necessity of National Commission for Women (NCW) member and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Khushbu Sundar’s visit to Udupi to investigate an alleged “washroom filming case” at a paramedical college in the district.
He pointed out that the NCW had not taken similar action in the recent incident in Manipur, where two women were molested and paraded naked.
“That is a small incident. Reports say it happened amongst friends. Should it be blown out of proportion and given a political colour?” Parameshwara asked. “If a criminal activity has taken place beyond it and if a complaint has been given, then it will come under the jurisdiction of the police department. However, there is neither a complaint nor anything else,” he added.
He clarified that he wasn’t opposed to the NCW’s visit, stating, “Let them come; I don’t say who has to come or see. The Manipur incident... I don’t know what to call it, but the commission has not gone there. Is this incident in Udupi of that magnitude?”
He also requested the NCW to share their findings particularly if there was any video evidence of the alleged incident in the paramedical college.
Khushbu Sundar arrived in Udupi on Wednesday to inquire about the incident where a girl was reportedly filmed on a mobile phone by fellow female students in the college washroom.
The Manipur incident referred to by Parameshwara involved a distressing video showing two women being molested and paraded naked by a group of men in Kangpokpi district. The incident came to light on July 19 and was widely condemned across the country.
Regarding the delay in filing an FIR for the Udupi college case, the home minister explained that the police were initially waiting for a formal complaint to be lodged. They were cautious not to escalate the matter without proper evidence.
“Police were waiting for someone to give the complaint. Naturally, they did not want to take it to that level. Now suo motu they had to do it because there was so much attraction this (issue) had created.” Parameshwara had on Wednesday dubbed the filming of a girl student in the restroom by fellow female students in a Udupi college as “a small incident blown out of proportion.”
Parameshwara addressed his previous statement and clarified that his intention was not to downplay the seriousness of the case.
Rather, the minister said, he believed that the college principal should have initially handled the matter and, after analysing the details, decided whether to involve the parents and police.
He expressed concern about outsiders giving different interpretations to the issue, suggesting that “certain incidents in college environments were often best resolved within the institution itself”.
(With inputs from PTI)
