Bengaluru: In a twist that has shocked citizens, the Bengaluru police have filed a case against Lokesh Gowda — the man who brought to light a molestation incident in SG Palya by sharing CCTV footage online. His crime? Uploading the video on social media before informing the police.
The incident, which took place on April 3, involved two women being groped by a man while returning to their PG in Bharathi Layout. The suspect fled the scene. Though the victims didn’t report the incident, CCTV from a neighbour captured the act. Lokesh, a local resident, shared the video on X (formerly Twitter) three days later, hoping to alert police and raise awareness on women’s safety.
The post quickly went viral, sparking public outrage and prompting swift police action. Based on the footage, police arrested 26-year-old Santosh Daniel from Kerala. He was allegedly involved in similar offences, but none of the victims had lodged complaints.
However, the case took a new turn when one of the women later filed a complaint stating that the video was shared without her consent. This led to police booking Lokesh under the IT Act, citing privacy violations.
Legal experts have criticized the move, calling it demoralizing for good samaritans. While acknowledging Lokesh may have technically broken the law, they stressed his intent was to safeguard the community.
“If whistleblowers are punished, few will come forward,” said advocate Sunil Kumar.
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