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Karnataka police find over 50 explicit videos on Hindu leader's phone amid ongoing investigation: Report
Moodbidri police discovered over 50 explicit videos on Hindu Jagarana Vedike co-convenor Samith Raj Dharegudde's phone during investigation of a separate case.
In an unexpected development during an ongoing investigation, Moodbidri police have uncovered over 50 sexually explicit video clips from the mobile phone of Samith Raj Dharegudde, a district-level co-convenor of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike in Dakshina Kannada, news agency PTI reported.
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Dharegudde, who was earlier granted bail in a separate case involving alleged stone-pelting at a private bus, came under renewed scrutiny when his device was subjected to a forensic analysis at the Cybercrime and Economic Offenses Lab (CEN Lab) in Mangaluru. The examination, carried out with court and senior official authorization, was part of the continuing probe into his earlier arrest.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that officers were taken aback by the nature of the content extracted, which reportedly includes explicit scenes involving both male and female individuals. One of the videos is rumoured to feature a well-known political figure from the coastal region, though authorities have not confirmed any identities, the report said.
Moodbidri Police have since filed a separate First Information Report (FIR) concerning the explicit material. A police official confirmed that legal action is being pursued under applicable sections related to obscenity and potential threats to public morality, as reported by PTI.
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Officials also expressed concern over the possible dissemination of the content, citing risks to community harmony and personal reputations. Steps are now being taken to trace the origins of the videos and establish the identities of those featured.
Dharegudde has not yet responded to the allegations, and police have indicated that he will soon be summoned for further questioning in connection with the newly discovered material.
(With inputs from PTI)
