Chennai: The proprietor of a working women's hostel was on Tuesday arrested for allegedly fixing spy cameras in the bedrooms and bathrooms of the hostel, in Adambakkam.
Police arrested 48-year-old Sanjeevi, owner of the hostel, after receiving a complaint from the hostel inmates stating that there were hidden cameras kept in several parts of the accommodation, including the bathroom.
Police said, Sanjeevi alias Sanjay, resident of Ashthanapuram in Chromepet had in September posted details of the women's hostel he owned in Thillai Ganga Nagar, Adambakkam, on social media.
The hostel is just two-months-old, and six girls working in IT firms and one other working as a nurse, were staying in the hostel.
The inmates allegedly grew suspicious of the owner as he would come to the lodging area often in the guise of checking the rooms, and often carried out renovations in the building. This triggered a doubt as to whether he was fixing cameras under the guise of building renovation.
Meanwhile, on December 2, one of the inmates had downloaded a mobile app 'Hidden camera detector' in her Android phone, and began exploring if any spy cameras were fixed in the rooms.
To their shock, the app showed the presence of a hidden camera in the bathroom switchboard. Suspicious, she dismantled the switchboard and found a hidden camera there.
Following this, the inmates conveyed the matter to Mount DC, Muthuswamy, who directed the Adambakkam police to carry out a search at the hostel.
A complaint was filed with Adambakkam police on December 2.
Meanwhile, on Monday, police searched the hostel premises and found a total of nine hidden cameras around the house.
On a thorough check of the premises, police found three cameras hidden in light bulbs on the bedrooms, three on hangers in the dressing rooms and three cameras in the bathroom switchboards.
Reports suggest that the owner placed the cameras in the name of carrying out renovation work in the house. He reportedly kept changing the position of the camera, until he got a proper view of the particular area he wanted.
Searching his office in the hostel, police also recovered 18 android mobiles and two laptops, which contained video clips of the inmates.
Following this, Sanjeevi was arrested from his residence late on Monday night. Police are investigating.
The Third Eye
They're watching you: How to protect yourself from hidden cameras - install 'Hidden Camera Detector' app. The app 'hidden camera detector' provides you feature to detect hidden cameras around you. This app traces out hidden cameras on the android phone.Women's staying in unfamiliar places like hotel rooms, guest rooms, under shower, even at your own private rooms, public washrooms etc., can use the app
How the app functions
You just have to move your phone in your surroundings to detect the hidden camera and to find any unusual magnetic activity, which may be a hidden camera, spy camera, secret camera or a hidden device.
The mobile gives a beep sound and a red light alert if it comes in contact with the spy camera.
