Students caught filming women in MP college; ABVP leader among arrested

Three male students from a government college in Madhya Pradesh, including a local office-bearer of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an organisation linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), were taken into custody for allegedly filming women students while they were changing clothes before a youth festival on campus.

The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday during a cultural programme at a college in Mandsaur district. Police said CCTV footage appeared to show four men entering a room and secretly taking photos and videos of female participants preparing for their performances, Maktoob Media reported.

The college’s acting principal, who noticed unusual movement in the area, is said to have informed the police and filed a complaint.

According to Mandsaur police, three students — identified as Umesh Joshi, Ajay Gaud, and Himanshu Bairagi, all between 20 and 22 years old — were arrested, while a fourth suspect remains on the run. Among the arrested, Umesh Joshi held the position of city secretary in the ABVP. Reports indicate that he was relieved of his duties in the organisation following the incident.

The ABVP, however, has denied any wrongdoing by its members. In a statement cited by The Indian Express, ABVP national secretary Shalini Verma said the students’ actions were being misinterpreted. She claimed they had entered the room out of suspicion and insisted it was not a girls’ common room.

Verma reportedly said that some female students misunderstood the situation and informed the principal, who later checked CCTV footage and notified the police. She also claimed that when the police examined the students’ phones, no objectionable content or recordings were found.

Police officials said further investigation into the case is underway.