Congress leader arrested for fixing spy cameras in Tehri hotel

He was arrested after a young couple who was staying in the hotel lodged a complaint that a hidden camera was fixed in the ceiling fan of their room.

Representational Picture (AFP)

Dehradun: In a shocking incident, a Congress leader was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly installing spy cameras in his hotel rooms in Tehri district of Uttarakhand. According to news agency IANS, Laxmi Prasad Bhatt, the owner of Basant Palace Hotel in New Tehri town, was arrested after a young couple who was staying in the hotel lodged a complaint that a hidden camera was fixed in the ceiling fan of their room. Police in its investigation found more spy cameras fitted at various places in the hotel rooms. New Tehri Station House Officer (SHO) Chandan Singh Chauhan said a case under cyber crime was registered against Bhatt and he was arrested thereafter. The police are also trying to ascertain whether Bhatt was uploading the footage captured in cameras to a website for commercial purposes. Bhatt was said to be active in the 2017 Assembly elections in the state as he extensively campaigned for Vikram Singh Negi, a former Congress MLA from Pratap Nagar seat in Tehri district. State Congress President Pritam Singh did not answer a call when contacted. How to detect a hidden camera?

• Check for small holes in walls, ceiling fans, Smoke detectors, Digital TV boxes, Wall or alarm clocks, Electrical outlets or other places
• Do not ignore objects that look suspicious
• Install a camera-detecting app on your smartphone.
• The most straightforward way to find a hidden lens using a light source is to turn off the lights and pan a flashlight around the room
• Buy a hidden camera detector.
• Turn on the WiFi option in your mobile phone. If you find any WiFi network with over 12 to 14 digits, there is a strong possibility of a spy camera stuck in your room.