Lucknow: A 25-year-old hotel staff member in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, has been apprehended for allegedly recording a woman while she was bathing in a guest house situated near the Ram temple.
Upon reviewing his mobile device, police discovered numerous inappropriate videos of other female guests in similar compromising situations, as reported by officials to PTI.
Saurabh Tiwari, hailing from Bahraich district, was caught by hotel patrons at the Raja Guest House, which is located just 50 meters from Gate No. 3 of the Ram temple.
The incident reportedly took place around 6 am when a female devotee from Varanasi noticed a shadow and realized someone was filming her from above through the tin shed roof while she bathed.
In a state of panic, she called for assistance and quickly exited the bathroom. Other male guests at the hotel heard her cries, rushed to the scene, and successfully apprehended the suspect, who was subsequently handed over to the Ram Janmabhoomi police, according to an official statement to PTI.
Upon examining the suspect’s phone, police expressed shock at discovering “numerous videos” of women in similar situations.
The complainant indicated that she had arrived from Varanasi with four companions on Thursday to visit the Ram temple and had booked two rooms at the guest house for their stay.
Circle Officer (Ayodhya) Ashutosh Tiwari confirmed the arrest, stating, “This is a very serious matter. The accused was taken into custody immediately upon receiving the information. A case has been filed, and a thorough investigation is currently underway,” while also noting that the hotel premises are under close scrutiny.
In a related development, the Ayodhya Development Authority (ADA) has sealed the guest house due to illegal construction.
ADA Secretary Satyendra Singh remarked, “The Raja Guest House was built without the necessary approvals from the authority and has therefore been sealed.”
The police have stated that they are actively investigating the possibility of additional incidents occurring at the same location, as well as whether the videos were disseminated or shared beyond the initial context.
