Udupi Superintendent of Police, Hakay Akshay Machhindra
Udupi: An incident of students making a prank video at a private paramedical college in Karnataka's Udupi got a communal colour after a right-wing organization sought strict action against the three Muslim girl students who allegedly shot explicit videos of their Hindu friends in a college restroom.
However, the region, which was on the verge of communal tension after the right-wing group-backed student organization 'All College Student Power' alleged a larger conspiracy of alleged 'Love Jihad' elements, subsided following the police confirmation of no evidence of the video being shared online, a report published in The News Minutes said.
Udupi Superintendent of Police, Hakay Akshay Machhindra, addressed the misinformation circulating on social media, clarifying that no video had been shared with anyone. He dismissed claims of a hidden camera inside the restroom and assured that the video had been deleted immediately after filming.
The police statement led the student organization "All College Student Power" to withdraw their protests, founded by former Hindu Yuva Sene leader Shivakumar Karje, who had demanded strict action against the Muslim students.
The victim herself conveyed to college authorities that she did not wish to file a police complaint and was acquainted with the three Muslim students involved.
Meanwhile, the college authority suspended the three students involved in the incident on the charges of violating the phone ban on the college campus and over the alleged shooting of video of their classmates in the restroom.
The woman students, reportedly said that they meant no harm to their fellow friends but were merely pranking them, and the video was deleted in front of them. The college chairman mentioned that the victim expressed her reluctance to file a police complaint and conveyed to the college that the girls involved were her acquaintances.
Despite her stance, the incident's severity led the authorities to take action. They informed the police about the matter and handed over the mobile phone used to record the video.
Several right-wing groups were actively disseminating rumours and misinformation on social media, alleging that hundreds of Hindu women's nude videos were being shared with Muslim men as part of a broader Jihadi conspiracy.
A particular right-wing activist asserted that the girls featured in the videos were experiencing depression and distress to the extent that some were contemplating self-harm or suicide. The activist also referred to a past incident in 1992 in Ajmer, where numerous school and college girls were systematically blackmailed and sexually abused by influential individuals, some of whom were associated with a Sufi dargah. Subsequently, the police visited the activist's residence to question her, and many BJP leaders vehemently condemned her statements.
Founder of ACSP, Shivakumar Karje, expressed relief at the outcome of the investigation and urged people not to spread false information online. The incident had sparked tension in the region, with right-wing groups propagating rumours of a larger Jihadi conspiracy, which the police and college both denied.
Udupi MLA Yashpal Suvarna, a member of the BJP, reiterated concerns about the privacy breach and condemned the government's perceived inaction. He vowed to seek justice for the victims and hold the culprits accountable.
The college chairman clarified that the suspension of the three students was due to violations of the college's ban on mobile phones on campus and the alleged recording of the restroom video. The video was reportedly deleted in front of the victim, and the college promptly reported the matter to the police, handing over the mobile phone used to record the video.