Bail granted to Chandigarh spa owner accused of live streaming without consent

The Chandigarh Police have registered a case under Section 77 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against Sandeep Bawa, the owner of a spa in Manimajra, following allegations of illegal surveillance made by a female client. The complaint was lodged by a woman from Sarangpur, who had booked an appointment online at the spa. During her visit, she became suspicious and reported the matter to the police.

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Upon investigation, it was revealed that a hidden camera had been installed at the premises by the spa owner. Although the camera had no recording facility due to the absence of a hard disk, investigators found that it was being used to stream live footage. Police officials confirmed that the accused was allegedly monitoring the live feed in real-time, raising serious concerns regarding privacy invasion and intent.

During questioning, the accused claimed that the camera had been installed to keep tabs on his employees. However, police noted that the camera was not placed in a staff-only area, and its live monitoring without consent added to the suspicion of misuse. Sandeep Bawa was arrested during the investigation but has since been released on bail.

Authorities have emphasised that although no footage was stored, the act of live monitoring itself constitutes a grave violation of privacy under BNS provisions.