UP hostel warden detained for putting phone in girls' washroom

Gorakhpur girls' hostel warden allegedly placed a phone recording inside the washroom, claiming she wanted to identify girls throwing sanitary pads outside the dustbin.A hostel warden in Gorakhpur was detained after students found a phone recording inside a bathroom.A private girls’ hostel in Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur has come under investigation after its warden allegedly placed a mobile phone with its camera switched on inside the girls’ washroom. The warden told police that she placed the phone there to identify girls who were throwing sanitary pads outside the dustbin.The incident came to light on the night of September 8, when a student who had joined the hostel two days earlier went to the bathroom and noticed a mobile phone stuck inside a tin shed. She recorded the phone on her own mobile and then called other girls staying at the hostel to show them what she had found.The students alleged that its camera was switched on and facing towards the toilet. They also alleged that the phone contained videos of five to six girls sitting inside the washroom. Several girls recorded the videos on their own phones, and one of them informed the police through Dial 112.Police took the mobile phone into custody and started investigating the matter. During questioning, the warden told police that the hostel had placed a dustbin in the bathroom for girls to dispose of sanitary pads. However, she said some girls continued to throw pads elsewhere, creating a mess. She told police that she switched the phone to recording mode at around 10 pm and placed it in the bathroom to find out who was throwing the pads outside the dustbin.The warden also told police that she had installed cameras at various locations in the hostel for the girls’ security and had made strict security arrangements. She said she had no wrong intention. The hostel has 20 rooms and houses 26 girls. Students studying at colleges in the city and girls preparing for competitive examinations live there. The woman has rented the house and has been running the girls’ hostel for several years.The incident triggered a prolonged commotion at the hostel. Police took the warden’s phone into custody and deleted several videos from it. Police also had videos deleted from the girls’ mobile phones. The girls informed their families about the incident.Police said that on September 9, students living at Uttam Girls Hostel in Mohaddipur informed them that warden Aarti Singh had placed a mobile phone in the bathroom on September 8 and recorded videos of students while they were bathing and using the washroom, violating their privacy.Police said they have registered an FIR in the matter and are taking legal action.Cantt Station House Officer Jitendra Singh said police received information at night and sent a team to the hostel. He said police had taken the mobile phone into custody and were investigating the matter. He added that police would take further action based on the investigation and the complaint.SP City Nimish Patil said police had taken the warden into custody for questioning. He said police would take action based on the findings of the investigation.- EndsPublished By: Akshat TrivediPublished On: Sep 10, 2026 15:09 IST