‘You Won’t Leave Women Anywhere?’: Karnataka High Court Dismisses Plea To Quash Case Against ‘Bangalore Metro Chicks’ Instagram Account Owner
The Karnataka High Court dismissed a plea to quash a case against the owner of the ‘Bangalore Metro Chicks’ Instagram page. Justice Nagaprasanna condemned the secret recording of women on the metro, rejecting the defense's comparison to CCTV footage. The court ruled that legal technicalities cannot override the safety of women.
The Karnataka High Court on Monday, April 27, refused to quash criminal proceedings against B.K. Diganth, a 28-year-old accused of running an Instagram page "Bangalore Metro Chicks" that shared non-consensual recordings of women commuters. Justice M. Nagaprasanna dismissed the petition, delivering a sharp rebuke of the petitioner's conduct and emphasising that legal technicalities cannot be used to shield acts that compromise the safety and dignity of women in public spaces.
The 'Bangalore Metro Chicks' Allegations
The case centers on the Instagram handle @metro_chicks, which allegedly hosted videos and images of women travelling on the Namma Metro, recorded secretly without their knowledge. Diganth, a commerce graduate who worked in the accounts department of a private firm, was arrested in May 2025 following a public outcry on social media. Bengaluru: Man Behind Instagram Page @metro_chicks Arrested for Clicking Pictures, Recording Videos of Women on Bangalore Metro Without Consent.
Investigators found that the account had amassed over 6,000 followers by posting content that objectified unsuspecting commuters. An FIR was subsequently filed under Section 78(2) (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act for transmitting obscene material.
Court Rejects Comparison to CCTV Surveillance
During the hearing, the petitioner's counsel, Advocate S.R. Sreeprasad, argued that the content was not obscene and was comparable to footage captured by standard CCTV cameras. Justice Nagaprasanna strongly rejected this defense, questioning the intent behind the recordings. "What CCTV cameras? Clicking women from the back and posting it on Metro Chicks is not an offence?" the Justice remarked. He further criticised the lack of safe environments for women, asking the petitioner, "What kind of men are you? You won't leave women anywhere? You don't leave women to be safe anywhere?" Bengaluru Man Exposes ‘Pervert’ Who Secretly Films Women on Namma Metro, Uploads Videos on Instagram; FIR Registered.
Dismissal of Technical Objections
The petitioner also sought to quash the case on technical grounds, pointing out that the investigating officer was also the complainant. However, the Court maintained that procedural nuances would not be allowed to override the gravity of the alleged offenses. "No amount of technicalities I will permit such things to happen. Technicalities cannot override such acts of yours," the Court stated. "Time has come that we should stop technicalities on certain things," the High Court added. The dismissal means that the criminal proceedings against Diganth will continue in the trial court. The Instagram account remains blocked as the investigation into the digital voyeurism case proceeds.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 27, 2026 08:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
