From BTM Layout to Kerala: How Bengaluru Cops Tracked Down a Molestation Accused in 10 Days
Bengaluru, April 14 – What began as a blurry CCTV clip from a quiet lane in Bengaluru’s BTM Layout turned into a ten-day cross-state manhunt, culminating in the arrest of a 29-year-old cab driver in Kerala.
Around 1:55 am on a recent night, two women were walking home when a man allegedly followed and molested one of them before fleeing the scene. The assault, captured on a surveillance camera outside a nearby house, sparked outrage as the video circulated on social media.
Interestingly, the victim did not file a police complaint. Instead, it was the house owner, disturbed after reviewing the footage the next morning, who alerted authorities—setting the investigation in motion.
Despite lacking a formal complaint or a clear image of the suspect’s face, the Bengaluru police registered an FIR under Sections 74 (assault), 75 (sexual harassment), and 78 (stalking) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
From there, the chase began.
A special team combed through over 700 CCTV cameras, gradually piecing together the suspect’s escape route. The trail first led them to Hosur, Tamil Nadu, where the accused had taken shelter at a friend’s place. As the video gained attention online, the pressure intensified, forcing him to flee again—this time boarding a bus to Kozhikode, Kerala.
The accused, Santosh D, is a cab driver employed in Brookefield, living with his family in Tilaknagar’s Gulbarga Colony. Police say he was under the influence of alcohol during the incident.
Finally, on Sunday, ten days after the assault, Santosh was tracked down and arrested from another friend’s residence in Kozhikode.
Though police were later able to identify and reach the victim and her friend, they reportedly declined to be involved in the investigation, citing a desire for privacy.
The case has once again spotlighted digital surveillance and cross-state coordination as powerful tools for law enforcement—but also raised important questions about victim consent, online exposure, and justice in the digital age.
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