Kochi, Sep 4 (IANS) The arrest of a Kerala college student in connection with the circulation of morphed obscene images of teachers and students has opened up a disturbing trail, with his mobile phone allegedly revealing that nude images were being sold for money through Telegram groups and that visuals of girls’ hostel rooms were stored on the device.
S. Srihari, a second-year BBA student of Bharata Mata College, was arrested by the Kakkanad police following a complaint from the college management.
Students, who examined his phone with police permission, reportedly found several photographs, including those of female students, that had been repeatedly misused to create obscene images.
The students also reportedly found evidence of the alleged sale of morphed nude images through Telegram groups.
The modus operandi was apparently to send photographs to a Telegram chat and receive their morphed versions through the same channel.
Special groups created to circulate morphed images of teachers and students were also found, according to the students who examined the phone.
The discovery of visuals of rooms in the girls’ hostel in Srihari’s phone gallery has added a new dimension to the investigation.
Police are expected to examine whether photographs were taken inside the hostel and subsequently used to create morphed images.
Investigators have also found that photographs and videos of teachers conducting classes were allegedly captured and later used for morphing.
Srihari was reportedly involved in photography and video editing for official college programmes and functions, giving him access to photographs and videos of teachers and students.
Police had earlier found a large number of morphed images and videos on his phone, including those involving female students.
The material was described as highly obscene.
The college first received information about the alleged activities on September 1, when a former student confidentially alerted a female teacher.
A preliminary inquiry reportedly confirmed the information, following which Srihari was suspended and expelled.
The police have registered a case under non-bailable provisions, including Section 67A of the Information Technology Act.
The cyber cell is being roped in to trace the digital trail, examine the alleged financial transactions and determine whether others were involved.
The arrest followed protests on the campus over the college management’s handling of the issue.
SFI-led students staged a sit-in outside the principal’s office, following which the Kakkanad police reached the campus and took Srihari into custody. Investigators are now probing whether Srihari acted alone and the extent of the network involved in obtaining, morphing, circulating and allegedly monetising the images.
–IANS
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