Watch out for toilet voyeurs

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From women being unsafe in broad daylight, on lonely stretches and oon the road at night, they’re now unsafe in public toilets as well. In what came as a shock to many, an official of the National Technical Research Organisation

(NTRO) was booted out of the agency for secretly filming women colleagues in the office toilet. When such a thing can happen in India’s premiere technical intelligence agency, it makes one more wary of other public places. In the past, hidden cameras were detected in trial rooms at premier malls in the city, now they have reached public conveniences. How is one to feel safe in a city where you have cameras stalking you everywhere?
Says media professional Shreya Gupta, “A few days back, I used a public toilet in Chanakyapuri on my way home, and the guards weren’t even in uniforms. The door was locked and when he opened it for me, I felt really unsafe. Most women feel very unsafe in public toilets.”
Those who travel in the Delhi Metro are unhappy about the state of the washrooms there. Richa Nathani, a college student, says, “Most of these toilets have just one guard at the entrance to collect money. Once in a while you can spot a female cop. We see such videos on YouTube and it just makes you feel you’re being watched.”
What’s triggering the fear is the steep rise in the number of cases where women have been filmed at various places, be it their hostel rooms or a restaurant. “We all know these cameras are easily available in the market at very reasonable prices. There is often news about women being filmed in trial rooms. I feel wary using public washrooms,” says Akansha Goel, a student. A shopkeeper from Palika Bazaar tells us, “I think the government should restrict the availability of these cameras and shopkeepers should be careful about who they’re selling the cameras to.”