Female students at an engineering college in Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh have accused the management of attempting to cover up the discovery of hidden cameras in a women’s washroom. The students claimed that the college administration threatened them for lodging complaints about the incident.

Since Thursday night, hundreds of students have been protesting at S R Gudlavalleru Engineering College. On Friday, they voiced their grievances to Mines Minister K Ravindra, who visited the college accompanied by the district collector and superintendent of police. The visit followed direct orders from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

In an official statement, students expressed their lack of trust in the college management, accusing them of suppressing the issue for three days and threatening action against those who dared to report the matter. The students vowed to boycott classes until justice was served.

Government response and inquiry

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has ordered an inquiry into the allegations. He directed officials to take stringent action if the presence of hidden cameras is confirmed. He also urged students to provide any evidence they may have regarding the incident.

A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway. Krishna district superintendent of police Gangadhar Rao announced the formation of a special team, including a five-member police technical investigation unit, to probe the allegations. An inspector has been appointed as the special investigation officer.

Police findings 

Despite the allegations, the police have maintained that no hidden cameras were found in the washrooms. They conducted thorough checks of laptops, mobile phones and other electronic gadgets belonging to suspects, in the presence of students and college staff. The police reassured the students that there was no need to worry and that confidence-building measures were being implemented.

Security measures and further investigations

Mines Minister K Ravindra assured students that enhanced security measures would be implemented at the hostel, including the assignment of one woman constable per floor to ensure the safety of female students. The police are also investigating whether any videos related to the alleged incident have been circulated and two students’ gadgets have been confiscated for examination.

Official statements 

Human Resource Development Minister Nara Lokesh also ordered an inquiry into the incident. The issue gained widespread attention after videos of the students’ protests went viral on social media. In a post on ‘X’, Lokesh assured that stringent action would be taken against those responsible and emphasized the need to prevent such incidents in the future.


With inputs from PTI