Bhatkal police arrest student for sending obscene, threatening messages to women on Instagram

Bhatkal: 19 January,2025 (Bhatkallys News Bureau)  Bhatkal Town police have arrested a 19-year-old student on charges of sending obscene messages and issuing threats to women through Instagram.

The accused has been identified as Mehran Mehtab Shabhandri (19), a resident of Tulsi Katte in Kumta. Police said he originally hails from Manki village in Honavar taluk and is currently staying in Kumta.

According to the police, Mehran is pursuing a BCA course at a private college in Mangaluru. After his arrest, he was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. He has been lodged in the Karwar jail.

During the course of investigation, police found that the accused was operating more than 18 fake email accounts. Investigators said he would attend wedding functions of strangers, secretly take photographs of women using his mobile phone, and later upload those images on social media platforms. He would then send obscene messages and threats using fake accounts.

The case came to light after a woman from Bhatkal lodged a complaint at the Bhatkal Town Police Station. The matter was later transferred to the cyber crime cell for detailed investigation. Based on the findings, police traced and arrested the accused.

A case has been registered at the Bhatkal Town Police Station, and further investigation is being carried out under the supervision of PI Diwakar, police said.