K’taka: Did an Infosys Employee Film a Colleague in the Office Washroom?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Incident highlights the importance of workplace safety.
- Victims should feel empowered to report such incidents.
- Immediate action is crucial in addressing violations.
- Organizations need to enhance security measures.
- Legal consequences exist for privacy violations.
Bengaluru, July 2 (NationPress) A senior employee at Infosys has been taken into custody for allegedly recording a female colleague while she was using the washroom at their office in Bengaluru on Wednesday.
The Electronic City police apprehended the suspect following a report filed by the victim. The individual has been named as Swapnil Mahesh Mali, a Senior Associate Consultant in the Helix Department.
The victim, a 35-year-old married software professional, holds the position of Technical Test Lead and works from the office approximately 10 days per month, with the remainder of her work conducted from home.
As per the FIR, the incident occurred on June 30 at around 11 a.m. when the woman entered the ladies' washroom. She noticed a reflection on the door and, upon closer inspection, perceived that someone had pulled an object from the partition wall. She quickly exited and began observing the surroundings.
After a brief return to the washroom following another woman’s exit, she discovered a mobile phone being used to record her from an adjacent stall.
Upon realizing what was happening, the woman stood on the commode and spotted the accused filming her from the next stall. When confronted, the accused continually expressed his apologies, as documented in the FIR.
The woman hurried out to the common area to raise an alarm, alerting others that there was someone filming inside the ladies’ washroom.
Numerous employees responded promptly. The suspect attempted to escape but was apprehended. Human Resources personnel, who arrived on the scene, confiscated his mobile phone and discovered footage of the woman being recorded in the washroom.
Despite his apologies, the woman insisted he delete the video. The HR team captured screenshots of the footage before it was deleted.
After returning home, the woman discussed the incident with her husband, who advised her to file a formal police complaint, voicing concerns that the accused may have previously filmed other women and could continue to harass female colleagues.
Following her complaint, the police charged the accused under Section 66E of the Information Technology Act and Section 77 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).