Thirthahalli police in Shivamogga district of Karnataka on June 18, Sunday arrested a ABVP leader in connection with dissemination of explicit videos on messaging platforms. The accused, identified as Prateek Gowda, was arrested in Thirthahalli following reports of him sharing videos of himself engaging in sexual activities with multiple college students. After the arrest, the police presented Gowda before the court which subsequently sent him to judicial custody.
Prateek Gowda is reportedly a student leader associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) who held the position of taluk ABVP unit president. The matter 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."
The ABVP leaders have also filed a complaint with the police, urging them to take appropriate measures against Prateek Gowda. They claimed that Prateek had been relieved of his responsibilities within the organisation since January of this year. They also expressed concern over his misuse of the organisation's name, which resulted in the harassment of several college-going girls and other individuals.
In a separate development, leaders from the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) visited the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DySP) office on Saturday, demanding legal action against Prateek Gowda for sharing sexually explicit videos on social media. The NSUI leaders voiced their concerns about potential blackmailing of young women, alleging that victims were enticed to join the organisation before being coerced into participating in sexual activities. They further claimed that the victims were subsequently threatened with the videos being made public.