Hidden camera at women's toilet: M.Sc. student Santosh M arrested

[email protected] (CD Network)
September 14, 2016

Mangaluru, Sep 1: More than three weeks after a hidden was found inside a women's toilet on Mangalore University campus, the police have managed to arrest the main accused in the case.

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The arrested has been identified as Santosh M (22), a second year student of M.Sc. in Marine Geology.

Mangaluru City Police Commissioner M Chandra Sekhar on Wednesday told media persons that the accused has confessed to the crime.

He said that the accused had left the campus for nearly a week after a complaint was filed at the jurisdictional Konaje police station by Registrar K.M. Lokesh.

Mr. Sekhar said the accused returned to the campus thinking the police would take some time to get the forensics report in light of the trouble in Bengaluru over the Cauvery issue. “But we caught him off-guard as we went ahead with our investigation while waiting for the FSL report,” he said.

The accused has also admitted to purchasing the mobile phone and a power bank and installing them in the washroom. “It was nothing but an act of a perverted mind,” Mr. Sekhar said.

82 suspects quizzed

The top cop said that it was the particular dressing gait of the accused that came in handy in zeroing in on him, after quizzing 82 suspects during the course of investigation.

He was usually wearing the shirt with his vest visible (unbuttoning the first button in the top order). He also turned out to be the same masked man (in particular dressing style) who was actually captured on the same cell phone camera, while keeping the device in the toilet.”

Above all, it was the meticulous groundwork of a posse of policemen led by Shivaprasad K attached to jurisdictional Konaje police station that helped in cracking the case.?Apart from gathering the information, the team was also involved in accessing the closed circuit TV footages, matching the available details.

Mr Sekhar said, it was a second hand phone that had changed several hands before reaching the hands of the accused. He had bought the phone and power bank from different shops in a same commercial complex in the city just two weeks before the incident.

Though the camera was found on August 24, a case was registered in the Konaje police station only on September 1 after the news went viral on social media.

A girl student had noticed the hidden camera in the roof of the toilet on August 24. She immediately informed Bioscience Department faculty Dr Tharavathy N?C, who in turn brought the matter to the notice of Vice Chancellor Prof K?Byrappa. The VC asked Registrar Lokesh K?M to look into the matter.

Prof Lokesh had referred the matter to Sparsh,' a committee in the university that looks into issues related to girl students. The committee headed by Dr Musteri Begaum had reportedly submitted a report to the VC's office on August 28. However, the VC had been to Delhi to attend a meeting on August 28. By the time he returned on August 31, the news had spread.

As the camera phone was on' when it was noticed by the student, it is suspected that the person might have placed it there just a few hours ago. It is also said that the phone was concealed in a paper and was painted so that it is not easily noticed. There was no sim in the phone.

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Comments

Abu Muhammad
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

He is a Brahmin n ABVP sex pervert, may be supplying such clips to elderly cheddis. See notorious Coastal Kannada daily indirectly supporting Santosh in its news coverage. Cheddi nexus compromises their own sisters' and daughters' honour.

Satyameva Jayate
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

viren.....credible sources.......means ABVP pillas or Saffron Goonys....???

Satyameva Jayate
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

Viren.....Ha Ha...
Good you dint say the guy is incharge of toilet sensus....kept the mobile to see how many girls enter the toilet each day.....ha ha....

Sameer
 - 
Thursday, 15 Sep 2016

Viren Kotian.....hahahaha you are really funny joker!!! You have proved it!!!

S Ahamed
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

He must have been misguided, at this level of higher education he must feel shame to do such a bad act...he admitted that himself placed phone....well Viren kotian seems to be still in coma though our police department spend lot of effort and time with forensic report he claims to hav info on real culprit.....uff please wake up Viren,

Rakesh
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren koti father also involved in keeping cam ..please investigate again .. before commenting have some sense idiot

lijoe
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

i am new to Coastal digest, but i am surprised,at the comment by Mr. kotian. If this has any base please provide evidence to the police, the Law will take required action, we are at the service of people after all.

Haneef
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Sadly this is what happen if they train only for catching cows and not trained to be a good human being with moral and cultural values.
May be he is a expert cow catcher.
# Viren Kotian, dont waste time going behind fake theories.. Better get a medical certificate which shows he is mental patient. WHich may help him to come out fast as they usually do in other cases.

abdul raheem
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

CD PLEASE DONT POST VIREN'S COMMENTS.I THINK HE IS NOT WELL.HE IS ......

Syed
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

CD must inform the contact details of Viren Kotian, Udupi to investigating agencies to find out the real culprit. CD will you do this?.

Satyameva jayate
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren naren and ABVP will protest to release the culprit and return the phone...ha ha......also abvp pilla?

observer
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren Kotian deadly desperate. I like it. Hahah

TRUE INDIAN
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Viren proved that he is 10 Paisa Kammi

Abbu Beary
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

It seems Viren is unhappy about the arrest of a sadist. Why? The arrested is an ABVP activist???

Viren Kotian
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

I have got information from credible sources that a love jihadist stole mobile from a Hindu boy and placed it in toilet. Police must release this innocent boy and arrest the real culprit.

SHABEER AHAMMED
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Let him try same in his own home. let see how he will feel..

Chakrapani
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

His name should be changed as 'Vighna Santosh'.

Fahmi
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

This incident has proved that moral education ins must for students even at post graduation level.

Jithendra
 - 
Wednesday, 14 Sep 2016

Shocking. But, he is misguided student. The society spoils innocent youths. University should morally educate students.

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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