An Edinburgh College student was caught exposing himself by an invigilator while sitting an exam.
Ibrahim Gilani was taking the computer-based examination at Edinburgh College when the bizarre incident occurred. The 20-year-old was spotted “touching” his penis outside his jogging bottoms by an invigilator tasked with spotting any cheating.
But prosecutors accepted there was no sexual motive behind his behaviour which saw police arrest him after the exam was finished. His solicitor told the city’s sheriff court that Gilani may have been touching his private parts for “comfort” during the test.
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Gilani appeared at the court on Wednesday and pled guilty to a charge of committing a public indecency by exposing his naked private member. Fiscal depute Gillian Koren said Gilani was sitting the exam in a room at the college’s Granton campus with three other students at around 1pm.
According to the Daily Record, Ms Koren said it was a “computer-based exam” with each student in a “pod” - a cubicle separated by a partition. The court was told the female invigilator was walking around the room 15 minutes into the exam and saw Gilani “in his seat, leaning back, with his penis fully exposed and erect”.
She watched Gilani “touch his penis two or three times with his right hand”.
Ms Koren said the invigilator went to the college library to alert a staff member who came to the exam room. The prosecutor said this woman “observed the accused sitting with his legs apart” and “saw the top of his penis poking out his waistband”.
Ms Koren added: “She described it as erect or he was circumcised. His left hand was on top of his penis.
“Neither of the witnesses described stroking or masturbating, simply describing it as touching.”
The court heard police were called and Gilani was detained after leaving the exam, telling officers: “I’m really confused”.
Defence agent Eddie Wilson said the “pods” had a high back to the rear and a curved side” to prevent student’s seeing each other’s screens during the exam on June 15 last year.
Mr Wilson said Gilani, of Edinburgh, accepted he put his hand down his trousers and touched his penis “but not in a sexual way”.
He said: “A young male touching himself down his trousers is not as uncommon as some people would think.
“He was wearing joggers with an elasticated waist and is circumcised.
“The only explanation I can offer is that he’d gone there as some kind of comfort during the exam and his hand rested there.
“The folly of his actions has been to put his hand down his trousers and give the public the opportunity to see his penis.
“There is no sense he was doing this for any kind of gratification for himself.
“With the unique architecture of the pod, it might’ve given Mr Gilani the impression he could not be seen.
“Nobody said anything to him. That explains his confusion when police were waiting for him.
“He passed the exam, for what it’s worth, and is a bright young man with a promising future.”
Sheriff Matthew Auchincloss fined Gilani £380.
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