Dhumal for probe into student’s obscene pictures case

SHIMLA - About a fortnight after a female college student in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district complained of being blackmailed with her nude pictures, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said here Tuesday that he had ordered a probe and the guilty will not be spared.

“I have asked police officers to investigate the case thoroughly. Whosoever is guilty would not be spared. Even the role of the college authorities is under the scanner,” he said.

The student of MG Institute of Engineering and College at Badhu near Mandi town lodged a complaint with the police that her fellow student Abhishek Dhiman was blackmailing her with pictures showing her bathing.

“Abhishek was in police remand till Monday (Dec 27),” Superintendent of Police P.D. Prasad told IANS.

He, however, clarified that, contrary to media reports, the case involved only one girl.

“We have recorded the statements of all girl students but no incriminating material has been recovered so far. However, the involvement of two girl students who allegedly helped the accused in capturing the photos is being investigated,” he said.

Prasad said the girl alleged that the two girls of the same hostel kept a camera hidden in the pocket of their jeans and clicked indecent pictures.

“Some photos have also been found in Abhishek’s laptop, Gmail account and pen drive. Both the laptop and the pen drive will be sent to Forensic Science Laboratory for examination soon,” he said.

One hostel inmate, on condition of anonymity, said the two girls kept a jeans in the victim’s bathroom which had a hole and a camera in its back pocket. The duo recorded footage of many girls.