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Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Bengaluru police book 43 social media accounts on actress Ramya's complaint of online abuse over post on Darshan
The Bengaluru police on Tuesday booked a case on a complaint filed by actress and former Congress MP Ramya against 43 social media accounts for allegedly sending vulgar and threatening messages to her over a social media post on the Renukaswamy murder case, in which popular Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa is an accused. A Central Crime Branch (CCB) officer of the rank of deputy commissioner of police will supervise the investigation, officials said. In her complaint filed on Monday, Ramya claimed that the social media accounts were being operated by Darshan Thoogudeepa's fans. Darshan was arrested on June 11 last year with his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 others in connection with the murder of Renukaswamy, a resident of Chitradurga, who had allegedly sent derogatory messages to Gowda. Darshan was released on October 30, 2024, on interim bail after spending 131 days in jail. On December 13, 2024, the Karnataka High Court granted regular bail to Darshan and Pavithra Gowda. Recently, after the state government challenged the bail granted to Darshan, the Supreme Court criticised the high court order in the case. Ramya made a social media post about the Supreme Court remarks, after which she said she received abusive, vulgar, and threatening messages on social media. The police registered the case under sections 67 (publishing or transmitting of obscene material in electronic form) and 66 C (identity theft) of the Information Technology Act and sections 351 (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 75 (sexual harassment), and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Home Minister G Parameshwara said the police were initiating the action considering the seriousness of the issue. 'Such behaviour affects not just Ramya but potentially any woman. We need to 'put a full stop to this' pattern of online abuse,' he added.
The Hindu
a day ago
- The Hindu
Cybercrime police register FIR against actor Ramya's abusers
Hours after actor and former MP, Ramya, filed a complaint with the City Police Commissioner, the cybercrime police on Monday registered an FIR charging the accused under the IT Act and various Sections that deal with sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of a woman. The case has now been handed over to the Central Crime Branch (CCB), and a DCP rank officer has been instructed to supervise it. In her complaint, Ramya had named 43 social media account-holders for the alleged harassment. She claimed that the said social media handles were being operated by the fans of actor and murder-accused Darshan Thoogudeepa. Darshan is currently out on bail after being named an accused in the murder of Renukaswamy from Chitradurga last year. The police registered the case under Sections 67 (publishing or transmitting of obscene material in electronic form) and 66 C (punishment for identity theft) of the Information Technology Act and Sections 351 (criminal intimidation), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 75 (sexual harassment) and 79 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman). Reacting to the incident, Home Minister G. Parameshwara said that necessary action is being initiated. 'This should be taken seriously. Such incidents should not happen in the future. Today it is Ramya. It may be someone else tomorrow. A full stop must be put to such things. The Police Commissioner will take action. He will give instructions to concerned officials. I will also give instructions that such things shouldn't happen,' the Minister added. Another actor files plaint Meanwhile, another Kannada actor identified as Pratham has filed a complaint with the district police, claiming that he was allegedly abducted and threatened by Darshan Thoogudeepa's fans. In his complaint to C.K. Baba, Superintendent of Police (Bengaluru Rural), Pratham alleged that on July 22, when he was returning after finishing a pooja at a temple in Doddaballapura, Yeshaswini, Bakery Raghu, and a few other unidentified persons stopped him, took him to an isolated place, and abused him for speaking against Darshan and threatened him with dire consequences after threatening him by flashing some weapons. Pratham also alleges that the accused showed a photograph they had captured with actor Darshan when he was lodged at the Parappana Agrahara prison. The complaint has been acknowledged for further legal procedures, the police said. Meanwhile, veteran actor Shivarajkumar backed Ramya, saying, 'No woman should face such kind of harassment.' Shivarajkumar took to social media to voice his opinion. 'Words used against Ramya on social media are condemnable,' he said. 'We must learn to respect women. Social media is a powerful tool. We must use it responsibly. We must not spread hate and jealousy through social media. Ramya is fighting for something meaningful, and I stand by her,' wrote Shivarajkumar.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- The Hindu
CCB takes over investigation into hoax email bomb threats; seeks inputs from other intelligence units
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) has taken over the investigation into the hoax email bomb threats sent to 43 schools in the city last week. The CCB officials have also held discussions with intelligence units to gain a fresh perspective on the case. On July 18, panic spread across 41 schools in the city, following bomb threats that prompted the schools to send students home just hours after classes had begun. The threats were later turned out to be a hoax. Four days later, two more schools in eastern and central Bengaluru received similar email threats. Although individual complaints had already been registered, the CCB has now taken over the investigation, including the two cases filed subsequently. A senior officer overseeing the investigation told The Hindu that they are determined to get to the root of the matter, and hence they discussed several interconnected issues with other divisions of the police department and intelligence units. According to a source, investigators held a meeting on Wednesday with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Internal Security Division (ISD), and the Anti-Terrorism Squad/Unit (ATS). 'The agenda of the meeting was to gather diverse perspectives on the case and brainstorm potential new strategies to approach the investigation,' the officer told The Hindu. The participating departments typically handle classified cases and possess historical data, which could offer leads and assist the investigation, another source said. The senior officer said that they received valuable inputs from these departments, but declined to share further details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation. But the officer revealed that a request had been sent to the email service provider used by the suspect to issue the hoax bomb threats, and a response is awaited. The suspect also employed a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to mask their identity, the officer noted. Police are optimistic about receiving useful information from the service provider, as their preliminary assessment indicated a favourable stance. However, a senior officer experienced in handling cybercrime cases warned that relying solely on a response from the email service provider could stall the investigation. This caution is based on past cases where similar requests for information did not produce any useful outcomes. According to data reviewed by The Hindu, miscreants sent 53 hoax bomb threat emails to various institutions and establishments in 2023, 64 in 2024, and 20 in 2025, excluding the recent threats. Of these, fewer than 10 cases from 2023 have been solved, while 11 from 2024 have been resolved. All the cases that were successfully solved were relatively simple, as the threat emails were not sent using a VPN, the officer explained. Moreover, international avenues such as Interpol and the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) have proved ineffective for investigators handling hoax email threat cases. By the end of 2024, the Karnataka's Criminal Investigation Department had sent nearly 30 MLAT requests, but only seven received responses, and none of those contained actionable details, according to a CID source.
News18
18-07-2025
- News18
Man involved in multiple financial fraud cases nabbed in Mangaluru
Agency: Mangaluru (Karnataka), Jul 18 (PTI): A man involved in multiple financial fraud cases involving hundreds of crores was arrested here, police said on Friday. Roshan Saldana had allegedly been absconding for a considerable period, they added. Acting on a tip-off, the Central Crime Branch team led by the ACP arrested him from his house, where he was found hiding, they said. According to police, a preliminary investigation has revealed that Saldana allegedly lured high-net-worth individuals by pretending to offer loans worth hundreds of crores, collected 1-2 per cent of the promised loan from the victims in the name of stamp duty and commissions, and subsequently defrauded them. Several incriminating items, including cheques, forged documents, jewellery, expensive liquor, and a diamond ring valued at Rs 2.75 crore were seized from him, a senior police officer said. The total seizure value exceeds Rs 6.5 lakh, police said, adding that an excise case has also been registered for possession of liquor in excess of legal limits. His financial records show over Rs 40 crore in transactions in the last four months, he said. Two FIRs have been registered against him in Mangaluru and one in Chitradurga, police said. The accused is suspected of duping victims in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, and other parts of the country, police said, adding that a detailed investigation is underway. PTI COR AMP ADB (This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed - PTI) view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 18:15 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
17-07-2025
- Time of India
Four pose as Bishnoi gang members, threaten bizman
Bengaluru: A gang of four, including a city-based businessman and his three aides from Uttar Pradesh, were arrested on charges of demanding Rs 1 crore ransom from a rival businessman, claiming to be part of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The arrested individuals are identified as Mohammed Rafiq, 34, Amit Choudary, 42, Vansh Sachdev, 26, and Shishupal, 45. Rafiq is a resident of Mavalli and runs a shop for car accessories on JC Road. He is involved in a few cases in Delhi and other places, but not in Bengaluru. Amit, Vansh, and Shishupal are involved in criminal cases in UP and Delhi. According to police, Vishal, a resident of Nehru Nagar in north Bengaluru, who runs a plywood business, filed a complaint with Sheshadripuram police on July 9, stating he received a call from an unknown number on the night of July 8. The caller introduced himself as a gang member of Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded Rs 1 crore ransom. He threatened to kidnap Vishal's son if the ransom was not paid. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru A joint team of central division police and Central Crime Branch (CCB) was formed to trace the miscreants. During interrogation, the police found the number was purchased and activated in Faridabad. A team was dispatched to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to nab the caller. The police took the call detail records of the number and found a few calls were made to Rafiq. Another team in the city managed to catch Rafiq from JC Road. During interrogation, he confessed he had a rivalry with Vishal, alleging that Vishal and three others cheated him regarding a site and car accessories. He said he wanted to threaten Vishal and others and extort money. So, he called the miscreants from Meerut in UP to Bengaluru, provided them hotel accommodation and mobile phones to communicate among themselves and to make calls to Vishal. Rafiq was produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody. Based on his information, the team in UP went to Delhi and with the help of local police, they were detained. All three are in police custody. The accused have no links with Bishnoi. They claimed that they came to the city with a pistol and bullets. The police are making efforts to recover the weapon. Rafiq befriended the trio when he was lodged in Tihar jail in a copyright act case.
