Nanda Kishore Kumar and Govind Kumar, cooks in the hostel, had been given accommodation near the girls' hostel washrooms, and were peeping into them.
In response to massive protests by students of the college, the Medchal police swiftly investigated the voyeurism incident reported at CMR Engineering College in Hyderabad, and today booked seven persons and arrested two of them.
The individuals arrested in connection with the case are:
A1: Nanda Kishore Kumar (20), Gopalpur Gram, Mehandia Thana, Arwal district, Bihar
A2: Govind Kumar (20), Basantpatti Gram, Purnia Thana, Sheohar district, Bihar
The other persons booked in the case are:
A3: K V Dhanalaxmi (64), Hostel Warden, CMR Campus II, residing in Kandlakoya, Telangana
A4: Allam Preethi Reddy (42), Hostel Warden, CMR Campus II, residing in Kandlakoya, Telangana
A5: Varahabhatla Anantha Narayana (52), Principal, residing in Krishnanagar Colony, Moula Ali, Telangana
A6: Madireddy Janga Reddy (56), Director, residing in Srinivasa Nagar, Secunderabad
A7: Chamakura Gopal Reddy, Chairman, residing in Bowenpally, Hyderabad
The Medchal SHO had registered a case with FIR number 02/2025 under various sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act, based on complaints from the college's students.
The investigation revealed that the primary two accused, Nanda Kishore Kumar and Govind Kumar, cooks in the hostel, had been given accommodation near the girls' hostel washrooms, providing them with unauthorized access. This lapse posed a significant threat to the privacy and safety of the female students, with the two engaging in voyeurism by peeping into the hostel washrooms, and even recording girls in some instances.
Kishore Kumar and Govind Kumar confessed to the crime, and were remanded to judicial custody on January 4, 2025.
Hostel wardens K V Dhanalaxmi and Allam Preethi Reddy were accused of negligence due to their failing to act upon the victims' complaints.
And Principal Varahabhatla Anantha Narayana, Director Madireddy Janga Reddy and Chairman Chamakura Gopal Reddy allegedly pressured the staff to suppress the incident to protect the college's reputation, instead of reporting it to the authorities. Criminal cases were therefore filed against them too under relevant sections of the BNS and the POCSO Act.
The arrests were conducted under the supervision of ACP Medchal B Srinivas Reddy, SHO Medchal A Satyanarayana, and Sub-Inspectors Manmadha Rao, Ashok and Anitha, with the support of the Medchal police station staff.