N Dinajpur: Two staff arrested for voyeurism in girls school

Raiganj: North Dinajpur district police on Monday night arrested Subrata Mandal, the accountant and Mintu Saha, the art teacher of a girls’ Higher Secondary school at Tarangapur in Kaliyaganj for allegedly monitoring CCTV footage of girl students bathing in the hostel premises.

The controversy stems from a CCTV camera that was installed nearly three years ago near a tubewell used by hostel girls for bathing in the early morning hours. The issue came to light recently when the girls allegedly discovered that the accused were secretly watching either the live feed or recorded footage of them bathing.

Outraged by the breach of privacy, the girls staged a protest on Thursday afternoon, joined by their guardians, demanding the immediate removal of the camera and strict action against

the perpetrators.

The protest prompted the intervention of local administration officials, including Shila Saha, Sub-Inspector of Schools (Kaliyaganj) and Sandipan Dey, Joint BDO. After speaking with the school authorities, the officials ordered the removal of the CCTV camera.

Following this, the school promptly terminated the services of both accused staff members and lodged a formal complaint with the Kaliyaganj Police Station on Friday. Meanwhile, angered guardians have placed the blame on Soma Bagchi, the headmistress of the school, for the lack of oversight.

On Monday, they submitted a memorandum to the district Inspector of school (Higher Secondary) demanding her immediate removal.

Headmistress Soma Bagchi was unavailable for comment despite several attempts to reach her.

Confirming the arrests, Debabrata Mukharjee, IC of Kaliyaganj Police Station, stated: “Based on the complaint filed by the school, the duo has been arrested. A case has been registered under the POCSO Act and they have been produced before the court with a prayer for police remand.”