Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (ANK)

Mangaluru, Mar 27: Three persons have been arrested for sexually harassing a 14-year-old girl on the outskirts of Mangaluru in Gurupura on Saturday, March 27.

The arrested have been identified as Mohammed Muneer, resident of Polali, Taswin and Sadiq from Kaikamba.

As per reports, Mohammed Muneer is the main accused in the case.

Police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said, "The modus operandi of the accused is to get the mobile numbers of girl students and females whose husbands are working overseas. They initiate conversation and roam with them in cars and use them for sex. The gang records video of the sexual act they perform with the girls and use it to blackmail the victims. Locals say that many such groups are active in the Gurpura-Kaikamba region," the police commissioner said.

"The issue has also come to the notice of the parents and a complaint has been registered in the women's police station, the police have arrested three in this regard," he added.

"In the preliminary investigation, we have come to know that there is a big network operating in this case as they target girls, under the pretext of friendship, and then sexually harass the girls. So we suspected more girls being victims of sexual harassment, so I urge victims to come forward and share information," he said.

Muneer is a driver by profession and the other two also have a criminal history.

Locals in the area have also expressed concern that the girls are getting duped by these gangs of youths, who wear fine attire and roam around in luxurious cars that they do not even own.

Many girls and women offer them gold, ornaments or cash in order to prevent the accused men from uploading their videos on social media. Locals say that these gangs are influential and they have connections with upstanding people in society.