Karnataka: Man arrested for posting voyeuristic videos; CM Siddaramaiah vows stern action

Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) A 26-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly posting voyeuristic photos and videos of women on his social media accounts, police said on Thursday.

Taking serious note of the incident, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the government would take stringent action against such acts.

The accused, identified as Gurdeep Singh, is a hotel management graduate from KR Puram in Bengaluru.

He was arrested by the Banashankari police following a complaint by a student, who alleged that a video of her—recorded inappropriately and without her consent—had been uploaded to one of Singh’s social media handles.

The video went viral, leading to the girl being harassed and teased, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Lokesh Jagalasar said the accused is currently unemployed and that legal action will be taken.

Reacting to the incident, Siddaramaiah said he was deeply pained by it.

"This is not the Karnataka we stand for. Several such incidents have been reported in recent days, and our government has taken immediate action—offenders have been arrested. We are closely monitoring such activities," the Chief Minister said in a post on 'X'.

He called on society to introspect about the direction it is heading if women cannot walk freely without fear of voyeurism or harassment.

"Such acts are not only crimes but betray the values we uphold as a society," he added.

Addressing the women of the state, Siddaramaiah said, "We stand with you. Your safety and dignity are our priority, and we will act firmly against such crimes." He also urged people to report any such videos or accounts they come across online to the cybercrime cell by calling 1930 or visiting cybercrime.gov.in.

"Let us work together to build a Karnataka where every woman feels safe, respected, and free," he added. PTI GMS GMS SSK