Bhubaneswar: In a disturbing breach of privacy, police have arrested a junior clerk of the Jagatsinghpur District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) for allegedly installing a hidden camera inside the women’s washroom of the government office.

Addressing a press conference, Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Ankit Verma disclosed that the accused, identified as Sanjay Adekha, resorted to the act after a female colleague allegedly rejected his advances.

According to the police, Adekha purchased the spy camera online in January after learning about such devices through a YouTube video. He reportedly installed the hidden camera in the women’s washroom in March and regularly monitored the recordings. Investigators said he would remove the device once a week for charging before placing it back in the washroom. The footage was allegedly viewed on his mobile phone.

Acting on the complaint and subsequent investigation, Tirtol police arrested the accused on Saturday. During searches conducted at his premises, police seized the hidden camera, a mobile phone, a pen drive, and a CCTV hard disk.

Following the incident, the District Collector placed Adekha under immediate suspension from service.

SP Verma said the accused expressed regret after his arrest, apologised to the police and the Zilla Parishad President, and sought leniency.

A case has been registered at Tirtol Police Station, and further investigation is underway. Police are currently examining the seized electronic devices to ascertain whether any recorded footage was shared, stored, or circulated through other