'No Woman Is Safe': Karnataka HC Denies Relief To Man Accused Of Photographing Woman Changing Clothes

Last Updated:January 28, 2026, 22:04 IST

The court refused to grant relief to a man, who had been accused of attempting to take photographs of a woman while she was changing clothes inside the trial room of a retail store

The Karnataka HC maintained that protecting female safety outweighs a defendant's request for an early discharge before the facts are fully examined. (Image for representation)

Observing that “no woman is safe" and such people will not be spared, the Karnataka High Court has dismissed a man’s plea to quash a voyeurism case against him.

The court refused to grant relief to a man, who had been accused of attempting to take photographs of a woman while she was changing clothes inside the trial room of a retail store.

It said privacy violations in dressing rooms inside retail stores compromise the safety of all women in public spaces. During the proceedings, Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that if such incidents are treated lightly, the safety of women in public settings will be fundamentally undermined.

“The woman gets into a trial room and you shoot! How can any clothes store be safe for a woman if you go on shooting through the curtains?" Justice Nagaprasanna was quoted in a report published by the Bar and Bench.

The high court maintained that protecting female safety outweighs a defendant’s request for an early discharge before the facts are fully examined. Addressing the defence’s dispute of the evidence, the judge noted that mobile devices allow for quick deletion of digital proof.

“By the time she [the complainant] came out to take the phone, you [may have] deleted… Everything depends on trial," the judge was quoted.

Justice Nagaprasanna stressed on the need for deterrence, observing that individuals accused of using mobile devices to record victims in private settings must be held accountable.

“Such people should be taught a lesson. You may get acquitted, but I will not entertain [the plea to quash]," the judge was quoted.

According to the report, the incident took place in 2024 at a shop in Bengaluru, where a 28-year-old woman had gone to purchase clothes. While changing in the trial room, she noticed a small gap in the door. A subsequent investigation found that the accused, who was in charge of the shop, was allegedly attempting to take photographs of the woman through the opening.

The accused was booked under Section 77 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to the offence of voyeurism. Although a chargesheet had been filed and the case was pending before a trial court, the petitioner approached the HC to quash the FIR.

During the hearing, the defence counsel denied the allegations and urged the court to scrutinise the investigation material, specifically the extract panchnama. The defence argued that the defendant was young, only 19 years old at the time of the incident. But the court remained firm, insisting that the legal process must continue through a formal trial. It, however, eventually permitted the petitioner’s counsel to withdraw and seek other appropriate legal remedies.

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