Spy camera found in rooms, bathrooms of farmhouse in Panvel’s Tajola area; manager arrested

Mumbai: A spy camera was found in the bathroom of a farmhouse in Panvel in Raigad district. The accused manager, who was filming women and girls using the bathroom, has been arrested. A case has been filed under various sections, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Taloja police have questioned three other individuals in connection with the discovery of spy cameras in the bathroom and rooms of a farmhouse in Taloja area of ​​Panvel. The farmhouse manager, identified as Manoj Chaudhary (35), has been arrested.

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Chaudhary, who runs Riyansh Farmhouse in Dhansagar village in Taloja, has been arrested by the police on charges of secretly recording videos of women, saving them on his mobile phone, and circulating them with malicious intent. A case has now been filed against the accused under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and various sections of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).

According to the police, a family stayed at Riyansh Farmhouse in Panvel last weekend. At around 2 am, a woman went to the bathroom and noticed a small light in the corner. She became suspicious, and upon closer inspection, the light turned out to be a spy camera.

The alarmed woman immediately called the farmhouse manager, Manoj Chaudhary. When she arrived, she saw Manoj watching videos of women on his mobile phone. When she looked more closely, she found out that videos from the same bathroom were playing on his phone.

The woman immediately informed her family about the incident and filed a complaint at the Taloja police station. Police immediately took action and detained the accused Manoj Chaudhary and confiscated his mobile phone.

Senior Police Inspector Praveen Bhagat said, "During the investigation, approximately 17 videos were recovered from the accused's mobile phone. During interrogation, he admitted to deleting several of the videos. We have initiated the process of recovering the deleted data with the help of cyber experts."

Police also found videos of some minor girls on the accused's mobile phone. Following this, sections of the POCSO Act were added to the case. Police have booked the accused under sections related to the IT Act, POCSO Act, and broadcasting of obscene material.

Accused Manoj Chaudhary was produced in Panvel Court, where he was remanded to three days of police custody. Assistant Police Inspector Vikram Kadam (Taloja Division) said, “We are investigating the matter. We are investigating whether any other individuals or gangs are involved in this heinous act. With the help of the Cyber ​​Cell, forensic analysis of all data and devices is being conducted.”

Following the incident, police are now also investigating several nearby farmhouses and private homestays in Taloja and Panvel. Police are also investigating whether the accused used to make these videos and sell them commercially in the market and who were his customers. Involvement of staff members of the farm house and outsiders is also being probed.