Mangaluru, September 3: In a shocking incident, a junior college student was allegedly gang raped near Kinnikambla in Mangaluru after being lured by a man she had befriended on Instagram, with the assault also filmed and circulated online. Police said the minor survivor was first taken to a hotel in Valachil before being led to a secluded spot near Adyar Falls, where the crime occurred. Acting swiftly, Mangaluru police arrested seven individuals in connection with the case.

According to a report by News18, the main accused, identified as Karthik, had developed an online friendship with the minor victim two months earlier, which soon turned into regular communication. On June 29, he invited her for lunch at a hotel in Valachil before driving her on his scooter to the wooded Adyar Falls area. There, Karthik allegedly raped her, while his associate, Rakesh Saldana, also assaulted the victim. Shockingly, Karthik recorded the act on video and later shared it with his friends. Mangaluru Shocker: 10-Month-Old Baby Dies After Swallowing Beedi Butt Discarded by Father at Home in Karnataka’s Adyar; Case Registered.

The police revealed that five others, Jeevan, Sandeep, Rakshith, Shravan, and Suresh, were arrested for abetting the crime and circulating the obscene video online. The explicit clip quickly came under police radar, prompting swift action to trace the devices and accounts involved in sharing it. Officials confirmed that the arrests were made after the survivor lodged a complaint detailing both the assault and the digital exploitation. All seven accused have since been remanded to judicial custody. Mangaluru Shocker: Man Rapes Minor Girl After Befriending Her on Instagram, Films Act and Shares Video on Social Media; Jailed for 20 Years.

Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy told News18 that a case has been registered under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for gang rape, along with relevant sections of the Information Technology Act for sharing obscene content. Investigators are now probing the extent of the video’s circulation and whether more people were involved in forwarding it.

Women and Child Helpline Numbers:

Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 03, 2025 10:20 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).