No hidden camera in trial room, says Fabindia

MUMBAI: 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 today 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 here.

The company claimed that installation of CCTV camera is a standard retail practice employed across the industry as a surveillance and security measure and that several other stores have been checked since yesterday by the police and no imperfections in placement of cameras have been found.

"Fabindia is a women-centric organisation and 70 per cent 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 yesterday.

Later, an FIR was filed and four employees of the Candolim store were arrested. They were granted bail today by a Goa Court.