Thirthahalli: An Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) leader has been arrested by Thirthahalli police in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district on Sunday, for sharing explicit videos on messaging platforms.
The accused, identified as Prateek Gowda, was apprehended in Thirthahalli following reports of him circulating videos of himself engaging in sexual activities with multiple college students.
After the arrest, Gowda was presented before the court and subsequently sent to judicial custody.
Prateek Gowda, who held the position of taluk ABVP unit president, is said to be a student leader associated with ABVP. The incident came to light when a video featuring Prateek involved in sexual acts with several girls in Tirthahalli went viral.
Superintendent of Police GK Mithun Kumar of Shivamogga stated, "We have apprehended the suspect and are in the process of filing an FIR. Additionally, he has been accused of harassing the girls featured in the videos after recording them."
ABVP leaders have also lodged a complaint with the police, urging them to take appropriate action against Prateek Gowda. They mentioned that Prateek had been relieved of his responsibilities within the organization since January of this year.
The ABVP leaders also expressed concern over his misuse of the organization's name, which led to the harassment of college-going girls and others.
In a separate development, leaders from the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) visited the office of the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) on Saturday, demanding legal action against Prateek Gowda for sharing sexually explicit videos on social media.
The NSUI leaders voiced concerns about the potential blackmailing of young women, alleging that victims were lured into joining the organization before being coerced into engaging in sexual activities. They further claimed that the victims were subsequently threatened with the public release of the videos.