Smriti Irani controversy: Goa Police to record statements of 'other victims'

Panaji: Goa Police on Sunday said all the persons involved in the voyeurism case, registered following a complaint by Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani, would be brought to book and "other victims" too would be called for recording their statements.

Irani, who visited a Fabindia store at Candolim two days ago, alleged that it had a CCTV camera focussing at the trial room.

"We will book and punish everybody involved in the case," Inspector General of Police Sunil Garg told reporters here. "We are examining the CCTV footage retrieved from the store and and all other victims will also be called for recording statements," Garg said.

Police have already issued summons to top bosses of the retail chain Fabindia asking them to remain present for probe. Four employees of the store who were arrested by the police were on Saturday granted bail by a local court which said police had made out no grounds for custodial interrogation.

Fabindia has also denied that it had placed hidden cameras in any of its stores.

The accused -- Paresh Bhagat, Raju Payanche, Prashant Naik and Karim Lakhani -- were booked under IPC sections 354C (voyeurism), 509 (intrusion into privacy) and IT Act's section 66E (capturing, publishing image of private area of any person without his/her consent).

According to a statement by Fabindia on Saturday, the camera in question at Candolim store was part of the surveillance system and was installed in the shopping area.