Karnataka police have booked eight students under the POCSO Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) in connection with hosting a kissing challenge at a private residence in Mangaluru city, police said on Friday.
A video of minor students of a reputed college smooching in the presence of others at a private residence has gone viral on social media, stirring a controversy.
A police probe showed that the students had got the flat on rent for two months and took their girlfriends to play a truth and dare game, in which they engaged in a lip-lock. The video, which came into the public domain, shocked and created concerns among parents across the state.
The POCSO case had been registered against the students in Pandeshwara Women's police station of Mangaluru. One of the students, who captured the video and made it viral, was detained initially, and later the police detained three others in connection with questioning, according to police sources.
One of the accused students has gone abroad, and the police will question all the accused in the case. The police department had requested college and school authorities to keep vigil on the activities of students.
It has also directed the authorities of educational institutions to allow police to investigate serious matters instead of sorting it out through internal committees.
N. Shashikumar, Commissioner of Police for Mangaluru city, stated that the incident had taken place six months ago in a flat in Mangaluru. The students were playing a truth and dare game during the lip-lock competition.
One of the boys, who was present, had put the video on WhatsApp a week ago. It has come to the notice of the school administration and authorities have warned students and suspended them, he stated.
The video shows a college boy and girl coming together and smooching passionately as others in the room cheer for them. Sources explain that the group of students held a lip-lock competition among themselves.
Sources say that the students belonged to a reputed college and the video has shocked the traditional coastal district and raised concern across the state worrying parents.
The Mangaluru police are acting swiftly on the issue as it is likely to turn into a crisis. The police are also verifying whether the students had consumed drugs.
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