Kerala College Student Held for Circulating Morphed Images of Teachers
A Bharata Mata College student was arrested for allegedly morphing and circulating images of teachers. Police are investigating possible financial gains and other suspects.
The Thrikkakara police in Ernakulam district formally arrested a 20-year-old student on Friday, a day after taking him into custody for allegedly altering photographs of teachers and sharing them online.
The accused, identified as Sreehari V.S., is a second-year BBA student at Bharata Mata College, Thrikkakara. He has been booked under Section 67A of the Information Technology Act (transmitting sexually explicit electronic material), Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (offences insulting a woman's modesty or intruding on her privacy), and Section 119(1)(b) of the Kerala Police Act (recording or sharing photos/videos harming a woman's privacy).
Investigators said the student morphed images of at least three teachers. While no other accused have been identified so far, police sources indicated that a few individuals in the same age group are under scrutiny for suspected involvement. Authorities are also examining whether the accused derived any financial benefit from the act.
The case was registered following a complaint from the college management. Principal Soumya Thomas confirmed that the student was dismissed after the disciplinary committee verified the allegations, and his mobile phone was handed over to police. The matter came to light when a former student alerted a teacher about the morphed pictures being circulated online.
The incident triggered protests on campus, with students demanding strict action. The college has since asked students to submit any further evidence or complaints to its Internal Complaints Committee or the Principal, promising to forward the material to police for follow-up.