Panaji: A day after Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani said she spotted a hidden camera in the changing room of Fabindia's store at Candolim in Goa, the company on Saturday said "there were no hidden cameras anywhere in the store, including the trial rooms."
"At the outset, we would like to convey our apologies to the Honourable Minister Smriti Irani for the inconvenience that has been inadvertently caused. The camera in question at Condolim-Goa store was a part of the surveillance system at the store and was installed in the shopping area. There were no hidden cameras anywhere in the store, including the trial rooms. These cameras are in full public view and the fact that surveillance cameras are installed is prominently displayed in all the stores," Fabindia said in a statement.
Read: Smriti Irani case: 4 Fabindia employees held, senior executives to be quizzed today
"Fabindia is a women-centric organisation and 70% of its workforce is women across the country and the globe. We highly value the dignity of women and stand for it. Customer is supreme for us. All of us, including our staff and store manager, are co-operating fully with the police in every way possible so that the matter is investigated and reaches its logical conclusion. If mischief has been done by anyone, such person should be punished as per law," it added.
Fabindia said the company has also appointed an investigation team comprising three senior women executives/ women of repute to look into the matter. Irani, who was on a visit to Goa, said she came across the camera in the changing room when she was in the showroom to buy clothes on Friday. Later, an FIR was filed and four employees of the Candolim store were arrested. They were granted bail by a Goa Court on Saturday.
Fabindia said it highly valued the dignity of women.
"Fabindia is a women-centric organisation and 70 per cent of its workforce is women across the country and the globe."
During arguments in the court, the Investigating Officer said it has been revealed during initial probe that the captured images were viewed by the accused.
"Custodial interrogation of the accused is required to know whether those images had been disseminated via e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook or any other means of communication," police told the court.
It said only the custodial interrogation of the accused will reveal the names of others involved in this episode and help in tracing victims.
"The investigation is at preliminary stage and more evidence is required to be collected as this case involves innocent women whose modesty has been insulted," police told the court.
