POCSO Case Against Bengaluru PSI After Alleged Custodial Abuse Of Minor Boys

A Bengaluru police sub-inspector (PSI) has been arrested on Monday after being booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) for allegedly sexually abusing minor boys during what was claimed to be an interrogation in connection to a murder case reported in Amrutahalli a few months ago.

According to senior officer, the accused has been identified as PSI Praveen attached with Amruthahalli police station in the north-east part of the city. He has been suspended from service after videos linked to the alleged abuse surfaced on social media and were examined by the police. A police constable, identified as Raghavendra has also been suspended for allegedly assisting the officer.

According to police officials, the alleged incident took place around a year ago. Praveen had reportedly detained the minor boys in connection with an investigation. Instead of questioning them through legally prescribed procedures, he allegedly took them to a lodge, assaulted them. He asked those minors to remove their trousers and forced them to perform obscene acts. The acts were allegedly recorded on his mobile phone.

The matter came to light after video clips of the alleged abuse began circulating online. Police then registered a suo motu case under relevant provisions of the POCSO Act and the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act. The accused PSI was arrested on Monday and was expected to be produced before a court.

A senior police officer said the accused officer had been arrested and that further investigation was underway. The officer also confirmed that Constable Raghavendra had been suspended over the allegation that he helped the PSI. Police are examining the conduct of both personnel and the circumstances in which the minors were allegedly taken away.
What investigators are examining in the POCSO case

Police have seized Praveen's mobile phone and sent it for forensic examination. The digital probe is expected to establish how many videos were stored on the device, whether any files were deleted, and whether any objectionable material was shared with other persons. Investigators will also try to recover metadata that may help fix the time and place of recording.

Preliminary inquiries suggest the videos may have been copied from the accused officer's phone during a domestic dispute before being leaked online. Senior officials, however, have not treated that account as final. They are still checking how the clips moved from the device to social media platforms and whether more people handled or circulated them.

The circulation of such material creates a second layer of harm for child victims. Under Indian law, the identity of minors involved in sexual offence cases is protected. Publishing or sharing images, videos or details that can identify a child survivor can invite legal action. Police are therefore expected to examine not only the alleged abuse but also the online spread of the clips.