Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reacting to the incident of recording of videos of women in public places and uploading them on social media after presenting them in an objectionable manner has stated that the development has pained him. “This is not the Karnataka we stand for,” he underlined.
Taking to social media X, on Thursday, CM Siddaramaiah stated, “It pains me deeply to see women being secretly filmed and harassed in public spaces, with such videos circulated online at the cost of women’s dignity. This is not the Karnataka we stand for.”
“Many incidents have been reported in the last few days, and our government has taken immediate action against the offenders, who have been arrested. We are monitoring such activities closely,” the CM said.
“We must ask ourselves: Where is our society headed if women cannot walk freely without fear of voyeurism or harassment? Such acts are crimes and betray our values as a society,” CM Siddaramaiah pointed out.
“To the women of our state: We stand with you. Your safety and dignity are our priority, and we will act firmly against such crimes,” he assured.
“I urge every citizen, if you come across such videos or accounts online, please report them immediately to the cyber cell by calling 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in. Let us all work together to build a Karnataka where every woman feels safe, respected, and free,” CM Siddaramaiah stated.
Bengaluru Police on Thursday arrested a 26-year-old man for allegedly recording videos of women in public places and uploading them on social media after presenting them in an objectionable manner.
The accused has been identified as Gurudeep Singh. Banashankari police arrested him after registering a suo moto case. The action was initiated after one of the women featured in a video tagged the Bengaluru Police Department on Instagram and sought action.
DCP (South) Lokesh Jagalasar stated that a person who used to shoot voyeuristic pictures and videos of women and post them online on Instagram has been arrested, based on a suo moto FIR registered at the Banashankari police station.
According to police, the accused had been uploading videos of women recorded in public areas like Church Street in Bengaluru, without their consent.
One woman who reported the incident said she began receiving vulgar messages after a video featuring her was uploaded. She emphasised that having a public Instagram profile or simply being in a public space does not amount to giving consent to be filmed.
The accused has been booked under Section 78 (2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.
The FIR states that the accused used to film women from the front and back in public places and uploaded 45 such videos on Instagram.
“By doing so, the accused has violated the privacy of women and harmed their dignity,” the FIR says. Further investigation is on.
(IANS)
