CBI busts Whatsapp-based global child porn racket
New Delhi: The CBI on Thursday registered a case and booked five persons on charges of uploading and circulating child pornography through a Whatsapp group that had 119 members from both India and abroad.
Calling the activity a "global crime," the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) busted the racket on the basis of intelligence inputs.
The members of the group -- KidsXXX -- included members of foreign countries like the US, China, Pakistan and Brazil, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria, Mexico and New Zealand, besides India.
Administrators of the Whatsapp group were identified as Nikhil Verma, Satyendra Chauhan, Nafees Raja, Zahid, and Adarsh. A case has been filed against them under Section 67-B of the Information Technology Act and the provisions of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO).
One of the administrators, 20-year-old unemployed B.Com graduate Nikhil Verma has been arrested from his hometown Kannauj in Uttar Pradesh, CBI spokesperson Abhishek Dayal said.
The Whatsapp child pornography group had been active for about two years.
The central agency is planning to write to the investigators of the foreign countries concerned, whose members are part of the Whatsapp group.
The CBI official said they are investigating all angles in this case including a well-organized racket shooting children's sexual abuse videos and selling them in the virtual world.
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VHP warns of statewide stir in Karnataka against move to ease cattle transport law
Udupi (Karnataka) (PTI): The VHP on Saturday demanded the immediate withdrawal of a proposed amendment to the Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Act, 2020, accusing the state government of weakening a law that has deterred illegal cattle transport.
The organisation's Go Raksha Wing, Karnataka South, has also announced district-level protests on December 8.
According to officials, the existing law mandates a bank guarantee for securing the release of vehicles seized for alleged illegal cattle transportation.
On December 4, the state Cabinet proposed an amendment enabling the release of such vehicles on an indemnity bond instead.
Addressing reporters in Udupi, VHP leader and Prantha Goraksha Pramukh Sunil K R, said the government's move amounted to "sympathy for cattle lifters" and claimed that it was part of broader actions "targeting Hindus".
He argued that the law in its current form is stringent and has played a crucial role in reducing incidents of illegal cattle transport and theft.
Under the Act, vehicles involved in offences can be surrendered and, upon conviction, permanently seized by authorities. "Diluting these provisions will embolden offenders," Sunil said.
The VHP leader warned that easing the process of vehicle release would not only encourage violators but also result in rising cruelty against cattle.
Sunil further claimed that the strict enforcement of the 2020 law had brought down cases of cattle-related offences significantly. Rolling back these provisions, he said, could reverse those gains and would lead to an increase in illegal transport.
He reiterated that the government must reconsider its decision and preserve the integrity of the existing law.
