The decision to install a CCTV camera in a girls washroom at Nagpur Universitys Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law situated at Amravati Road has not gone down well with city women. The decision has met with stiff opposition from girl students and lecturers in the city.

For the uninitiated, as per a report in a leading daily, the law college has installed a CCTV camera inside a girls washroom after students complained of thefts of their belongings. The daily quoted, Dr Shrikant Komawar (Principal,  Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar College of Law) as saying, The CCTV camera was put up for safety and security purpose only. It is wrong to say that it is breaching anyones privacy. We have ensured that it captures only the entrance to keep a watch on who is entering the washroom.

City woman, however, are outraged over the decision and they spoke about how they feel about the decision, while speaking to Nation Next. Rowena Brodie, a student of SFS College, is rather indignant about the installation of the CCTV camera. She says, “This is breaching the privacy of girls. Sometimes girls also change their outfits in the washroom if they are going out somewhere after college. If the authorities had an issue, they could place the cameras outside in the corridor leading to the girls’ washroom; not inside. This is wrong.”

Shoma Bannerji, senior lecturer at SFS College is totally against the move. She says, “It is not only wrong, it could be against the law as well. A move like this would be no different from people who place hidden cameras and post lewd videos online. It should never have been done.”

A contributory lecturer of a city college is equally upset after reading about the decision. She says, “How could they do such a thing? That too without any signboard indicating the presence of the CCTV cameras Placing camera inside girls’ washroom is wrong.”

“The cameras could have be placed at the door of the washrooms, if the authorities wanted to capture the faces of girls who are entering the washroom,” says Veronica Jacob, a student of Hislop College.