Bengaluru, 13 April

City police on Sunday arrested the man accused of molesting a college student near BTM Layout’s 2nd Stage, following public outrage over a viral video of the incident.

The accused, a native of Tamil Nadu, allegedly groped a female student returning from a tea stall around 2am on 3 April. The victim and her friend, both from another state and staying in a PG accommodation in Suddaguntepalya, were walking back when the man, riding a scooter, intercepted them in a narrow lane and behaved inappropriately before fleeing.

Although the students initially refrained from filing a complaint, a bystander recorded the act and uploaded the footage online. The video quickly went viral, sparking public anger and renewed debate over women’s safety in the city. The government also faced criticism for its perceived inaction.

Taking swift action, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast Division) Sara Fatima formed four special teams under an Assistant Commissioner of Police to trace the suspect.

Once it was confirmed that the accused had fled the city, police teams were dispatched to Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and parts of northern India. Investigators scanned over 1,000 CCTV feeds around the crime scene to trace his movements.

Eventually, one of the teams tracked the accused to another State where he had gone into hiding.

Further details are awaited.