THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nine female employees working at the medical laboratory department of the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) have accused a male colleague of secretly recording their private visuals using a hidden camera.
The accused has been alleged of using a pen camera to secretly record their private visuals in a room designated for changing clothes, resting and eating. They also claim that he indulged in caste-based insults, inappropriate remarks and mental harassment.
The female employees allege that they found out about the recordings when one of them was made to listen to an audio recording by the RCC director of a conversation they had about the director in the same room. The complainants said the accused admitted through a WhatsApp message to one of them that he had recorded the activities and shared the audio with the director and three other people.
Fearing the misuse of the recordings and its impact, the employees submitted a written complaint to the RCC director on September 25. However, no action was taken for more than two months, they alleged.
Following the intervention of employee unions, the matter was taken to the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) on November 25. The director forwarded the complaint to the committee on November 27 and the committee recorded the complainants’ statements. On December 5, the committee recommended that the accused employee be removed from the department due to the seriousness of the charges. However, he was transferred to another wing. Employee unions allege that this move was an attempt to shield him.
The RCC director said the accused was transferred and not suspended as the charges against him were not proven.
“A complaint was received about the audio recording and not video. There is no proof for the video recording allegation. Action will be taken after the ICC enquiry is completed and they provide me with the report. When it was found out that the audio was recorded and leaked, he was transferred. There will be no delay in taking action if the report proves him guilty,” said RCC director Dr Rekha.