Candolim(Goa), Apr 3: Union Education Minister Smriti Irani was trying on clothes at an outlet of the popular Fabindia in Goa today, when she allegedly spotted a camera positioned to record inside the small room. Footage from the camera, including that of the minister, was found recorded on a computer at the store, alleged a Goa legislator Micheal Lobo, who lodged a first information report or FIR.
Four people who work at the store have been detained and are being questioned in the case, which has been handed over to the Goa crime branch, the police said. They said arrests would be made "only if necessary."
Ms Irani, who is on holiday in the sea-side state that her party the BJP rules, spotted the camera while shopping at the Fabindia store in Candolim, and immediately raised an alarm, alerting her husband, Zubin Irani, Mr Lobo said.
The MLA said she then called him and he contacted the police, who registered a case of outraging a woman's modesty. Ms Irani, 39, has recorded a statement with the police.
Fabindia MD William Bissel has told reporters, "We have security cameras in all stores...The cameras are placed where shop-lifting can occur...They are not inside the trial rooms."
Mr Bissel also said, "We are still investigating the case. Our teams have seen the recording. We have not been able to clarify what Lobo has said."
Mr Lobo told reporters that the camera was positioned in a way that the lens pointed right into the changing room and was not easily visible. "When we went through the recording, the entire video was recorded... Someone did mischief... Somebody has been watching the recordings," the MLA said.
Footage from the camera, installed four months ago according to staff at the store, was being recorded in a computer in the manager's office, Mr Lobo said, alleging that it held many recordings of people changing in the trial room.
Mr Lobo is the BJP legislator for Calungute, a popular area in north Goa where Ms Irani is staying. Calangute is right next to Candolim.
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