Bengaluru: Hidden camera found in washroom at Third Wave Coffee
What's the story
A woman discovered a hidden smartphone recording videos inside the toilet in an outlet of popular cafe chain Third Wave Coffee in Bengaluru. The phone, which was found concealed inside a dustbin, had been recording for approximately two hours. The incident took place on August 10 at the BEL Road outlet of the cafe and came to light when the woman alerted the staff, reports said.
Details
Phone was set on flight mode to avoid detection
The phone was discovered inside a dustbin bag with a hole cut out to expose the camera. It was strategically placed to face the toilet seat and was set on flight mode to avoid making any noise. The device had been recording for approximately two hours before it was discovered by the woman.
Twitter Post
Read: The woman's post here
Reminder that women are not safe ANYWHERE 🙂🙂🙂 pic.twitter.com/ha4KtztL0w
— Shasvathi Siva (@shasvathi) August 10, 2024
Culprit
Cafe employee identified as culprit
The phone was found to belong to an employee at the cafe, identified as Manoj. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Shekhar HT revealed that Manoj is a resident of Bengaluru's Guttahalli and a native of Shivamogga in Karnataka. He had been working at the Third Wave Coffee shop at BEL Road for one year. Following the incident, the cafe terminated his employment and initiated legal action.
Investigation
Police seize phone; send it for forensic examination
The police seized the phone and sent it for forensic examination to ascertain how many videos were recorded. "We will come to know how many videos were recorded after the report comes," said DCP Shekhar HT. Although Manoj confessed that it was the only video he recorded, the police plan to seize all his other personal electronic items and gadgets for further investigation.
Concerns
Incident sparks concerns about privacy and safety
This incident has raised serious concerns about privacy and safety in public spaces. An eyewitness, Basundhara, who shared details of the incident on social media, urged her followers to be vigilant. "I will be vigilant at any washroom I use from now on, no matter how popular the chain of cafe or restaurant is," she wrote.
Cafe response
Third Wave Coffee expresses regret over the incident
Third Wave Coffee expressed regret over the incident and emphasized their commitment to customer safety. "We regret the unfortunate incident at our BEL Road outlet in Bengaluru and want to emphasize that such actions are absolutely unacceptable at Third Wave Coffee," they tweeted. They also assured that they have a stringent zero-tolerance policy and have initiated necessary legal action against the accused.