POCSO Accused Probed for Jailhouse Video Calls to Minor in Karnataka

Overview

• Police say they have registered a case and opened an investigation into claims that a man jailed in Dharwad made video calls to the minor he is accused of abusing.
• A screen recording said to show a call from inside Dharwad Central Jail circulated online, and the girl’s family then reported the breach to authorities.
• Investigators were told the caller pressured the child to speak in his favor in court and threatened to release obscene videos if she refused to answer.
• Following protests by Sri Ram Sena activists, officials recently transferred the accused from Dharwad to Vijayapura prison, according to local reporting.
• The episode has fueled scrutiny of illegal mobile phones in prisons and of victim safety, and it comes under India’s POCSO law, which is meant to shield children from sexual offenses.