The leader of a Karnataka-based youth organisation has been booked under the IT Act and POCSO Act by Shivamogga district police on charges of blackmailing girls and exploiting them.
The accused was identified as Pratheek Gowda of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He was arrested by the Shivamogga police for reportedly circulating videos of himself indulging in sexual activities with women. Pratheek Gowda was a student leader associated with the ABVP. He also held the position of Taluk ABVP unit president.
Karnataka Youth Leader Arrested
The incident came to light when a bunch of videos surfaced a few days ago. The videos featured Pratheek Gowda indulging in sexual acts with several college-going women. The police said that he used these videos to blackmail the women.
After the videos quickly circulated on social media platforms, the leaders of the National Students Union of India (NSUI) approached the Deputy Superintendent of Police of Shivamogga district and requested an investigation into the matter.
On Sunday, the Shivamogga district police arrested the accused and filed an FIR against him under sections 386 and 67 A of the IT Act based on the NSUI's complaint. He was also booked under the POCSO Act as one of the girls in the video was under the age of 18 when the crime was committed. He was then sent into judicial custody.
The police stated that ABVP members also urged the police to take action against the accused for misusing the organisation’s name. Shivamogga SP GK Mithun Kumar sent a warning message to people who were forwarding the video on WhatsApp. The police also questioned the youth leader on Sunday.
The spokesperson of the Youth Congress, Adarsha Humchadakatte, claimed that the accused had blackmailed and exploited girls and urged the police to launch a thorough investigation.
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