Purvanchal Expressway ‘Car Romance’ Video Scandal: Sacked Manager Ashutosh Breaks Silence, Levels Conspiracy Charges | India News

The controversy related to the viral video of a couple engaged in intimate moments inside a parked car on the Purvanchal Expressway has taken a dramatic turn. Ashutosh, who was serving as assistant manager at Anti-Traffic Management System (ATMS) and was accused of releasing the footage captured on CCTV cameras, has finally opened his mouth and has a tale of conspiracy and rivalry to tell.

In the charges read out against him, Ashutosh had been accused of invading the couple’s privacy when he recorded the CCTV footage, then blackmailing them and extorting Rs 32,000 before the video went viral.

Ex-manager Claims He Was Framed

Ashutosh, who has been sacked, denies all charges and says he was framed by local opponents keen on getting rid of him.

Alibi Claim: “I was not on duty the day the viral video was recorded,” Ashutosh said. “Two or three colleagues from my department are responsible for making that video viral and they have pinned the entire blame on me.”

Accusation of Local Lobby: Ashutosh has accused the “local lobby” of actively campaigning for his removal and manipulating the entire incident. “They are twisting the entire matter to put me in the dock,” he said.

Denial of Extortion: Ashutosh, on the other hand, denied blackmail and extortion when specifically asked. He insisted that the victimized couple themselves confirmed that “neither money was taken nor was any kind of threat given.” Arguing that the complaint was spearheaded by local boys who, for a long time, sought his termination.

Justification Of CCTV Zooming For Standard Protocol

Reacting to the core accusation, that of zooming in on the couple’s private moments, Ashutosh defended his actions as part of standard operating procedure.

Duty to Zoom: He explained that for any vehicle parked anywhere on the Purvanchal Expressway, the ATMS protocol mandates the mechanical staff to zoom in to check if it is in distress or due to failure or even a medical emergency.

Standard Practice: “Zooming is part of our duty, not a way to peep into someone’s privacy,” he claimed. Ashutosh also asserted he had a clean service record for two and a half years at the location, with no complaints in the past.

FIR, Termination, And A Twist

But the investigation has taken a confusing administrative twist: FIR Filed: Sub-Inspector Mohammad Raffan of Haliya police station filed an FIR against Ashutosh under Section 308(2) of the BNS, 2023.

Backdated Termination: The company operating the ATMS system sacked Ashutosh, but reportedly the investigations revealed that the company had backdated the termination, setting the date of the document to November 30, while the complaint by the victims was filed on December 2.

The whole issue had come to light on December 8, when a complaint letter along with the associated video went viral. The complaint letter claimed that the ATMS staff recorded the activity of the newlyweds, and the manager, Ashutosh, showed them the video, extorted Rs 32,000 to “settle the matter,” and subsequently leaked the video.

Several people then came out with similar accusations of Ashutosh using the expressway cameras to spy on women and activities in villages.

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