Ahmedabad: Gujarat High Court has punished a 27-year-old automobile engineer by ordering him to perform one month of community service at Civil Hospital, Asarwa, and donate Rs 50,000 to an orphanage for allegedly recording a minor girl by placing his mobile phone camera on the floor of a mall changing room.HC took the stern action even as it quashed the FIR lodged against accused with Vastrapur police in Oct last year at the behest of the minor’s parents. The parents told the court that they had settled the dispute with the accused and did not wish to pursue further criminal proceedings.Besides filing affidavits, the girl’s parents told HC that the litigation had adversely affected their daughter’s education and she could not perform well in her board exams. They said the incident had placed a tremendous emotional burden on the child. Keeping in view her further education and eventual marriage, they decided to put the chapter behind them and move ahead in life.Justice M K Thakker said, “The allegations made in the FIR are undoubtedly serious in nature and disclose an act compromising the dignity and privacy of a minor child. The allegations further disclose a potent indication of the sinister undercurrent behind the use of mobile phone, particularly in context of video recording of the minor girl while she was changing her clothes in the privacy of the changing room.”HC said it was not inclined to quash the FIR in a perfunctory manner. However, considering the victim’s right to privacy and dignity and the gravity of the offence, the court took an undertaking from the accused in writing that he would never indulge in any criminal activity in future.The court felt that a mere assurance from the accused was not enough and directed him to undertake community service “as a measure of accountability and reflection”.“The applicant is directed to perform community service for a period of one month at the Civil Hospital, Asarwa, Ahmedabad, from Sep 10, 2026 to Oct 9, 2026,” HC ordered.The court directed the Civil Hospital superintendent to assign appropriate duties to the accused and send a certificate of satisfactory completion of community service to HC registrar general. It also sought a report detailing the work assigned to him and how he discharged his duties.“In the event of any absence, default or misconduct on the part of the applicant during the course of the community service, the same shall be immediately reported to this court for appropriate orders, including revival of the FIR,” HC clarified.HC also ordered the accused to deposit Rs 50,000 with Shishu Gruh at Paldi within 10 days. The orphanage was directed to utilise the amount for “the welfare, care, education and other legitimate needs of the children residing therein”.HC further directed the trial court not to return the mobile phone to the accused.
