KOZHIKODE: The Kozhikode First Class Judicial Magistrate Court sentenced a youth to three years of imprisonment and fined ₹20,000 in connection with his involvement in an incident in which a mobile phone camera was placed in the women’s toilet of a restaurant seven years ago.
The court found Akhil Jose, 29, a former employee with Hotel Sagar on Mavoor Road under Sections 63 and 67 of the Information Technology Act.
The accused was sentenced to three years in prison and fined ₹10,000 under each Section of the Act. However, the jail term will run concurrently.
Jose was charged with planting his camera phone in the women’s toilet of the hotel on March 11, 2010. The phone was found by a girl student of an engineering college, who went to the restaurant with her friends for lunch.
The verdict was announced after the court examined the visuals in the phone.
That the SIM card was in the possession of the accused also helped the prosecution during the trial. The Nadakkavu police had registered and investigated the case.
The incident had rocked the city for almost a fortnight.
The District Collector in his capacity as District Magistrate had ordered the closure of the hotel.
However, the case had taken an unusual turn after the brother of the girl was allegedly manhandled by the Nadakkavu police after he insisted that the phone be handed over to the Commissioner of Police.
A Sub-Inspector was also placed under suspension pending inquiry.
A court had also ordered the former Nadakkavu Principal Sub Inspector to pay a compensation of ₹50,000.
