Three arrested for repeatedly sexually harassing 14-year-old school girl in Mangaluru's Gurupura
Police Commissioner says larger network operating in the area to harass young women
Mangaluru: Local police on Saturday arrested three people for repeatedly sexually harassing a 14-year-old schoolgirl. The incident was reported from the outskirts of the city located at Gurupur.
The arrested accused have been identified as Mohammed Muneer (28) a resident of Bantwal Taluk, Tausif, and Sadik both residents of Kaikamba.
Speaking to reporters after the arrests were made, city’s Police Commissioner N Shashikumar on Saturday added that Muneer is the prime accused in the case while the other two have been arrested for lending support to him in sexually harassing the minor girl. He further added that the police were looking out for more accused in the case.
The Commissioner added “In the Gurupur-Kaikamba area there are groups of youngsters who target school students and young women. At first, they make friends with them, offer chocolates and other items to them and then sexually harass them. There is a vast-spread network behind this and we have launched an intense investigation into the matter”.
“Muneer who is the prime accused in the case used to roam around the school and lure students and young girls with gifts to attract them and befriend them. He then used to exchange numbers with them and ask them for their private pictures and videos. After acquiring the photos and videos he used to ask the girls for sexual favors and threaten them to post their pictures and videos on social media platforms upon their rejection hence leading to sexual harassment of the girls” Shashikumar said during the press conference at his office.
A case in this regard was registered at the women's police station in the city after the parents of the girls came to know about the harassment. Three people have now been arrested and further investigations are underway. Muneer, according to the police works as a driver while the other two arrested accused also have criminal records against their names.
Police Commissioner Shashikumar also urged women and girls who have been victims of such incidents and harassments, to come forward and report it to the police as the initial investigations have revealed that several girls and women were targeted by the accused in the Gurupura locality.
Local residents of Gurupura have also acknowledged the presence of such groups of youngsters who lure women and girls by living a luxurious life and roaming around in luxurious cars. The locals also said the groups sometimes also use rented luxury cars to impress girls and lure them and befriend them.
College students, girls, and women whose husbands live abroad are the primary target of these groups. They exchange numbers trap them under the guise of a love affair and sexually exploit them. They then make videos of them and blackmail the victims, who, out of fear give away money and gold to the abusers, locals added.
They also said such groups enjoy support from powerful people of the area.
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Deep societal faultlines persist despite 75 years of independence: Justice Ujjal Bhuyan
Judge cites denial of home to Muslim girl, opposition to Dalit women cooking mid-day meals
Hyderabad, February 23, 2026: Supreme Court judge Justice Ujjal Bhuyan has said that despite repeated affirmations of constitutional morality by courts, deep societal faultlines rooted in caste and religious discrimination continue to shape everyday realities in India.
Speaking at a seminar on “Constitutional Morality and the Role of District Judiciary” organised by the Telangana Judges Association and the Telangana State Judicial Academy in Hyderabad, Justice Bhuyan reflected on the gap between constitutional ideals and social practices.
He cited a recent instance involving his daughter’s friend, a PhD scholar at a private university in Noida, who was denied accommodation in South Delhi after her surname revealed her Muslim identity. According to Justice Bhuyan, the landlady bluntly informed her that no accommodation was available once her religious background became known.
In another example from Odisha, he referred to resistance by some parents to the government’s mid-day meal programme because the food was prepared by Dalit women employed as cooks. He noted that some parents had objected aggressively and refused to allow their children to consume meals cooked by members of the Scheduled Caste community.
Describing these incidents as “the tip of the iceberg,” Justice Bhuyan said they reveal how far society remains from the benchmark of constitutional morality even 75 years into the Republic. He observed that while the Constitution lays down standards of equality and dignity, the morality practised within homes and communities often diverges sharply from those values.
He emphasised that constitutional morality requires governance through the rule of law rather than the rule of popular opinion. Referring to the evolution of the doctrine through judicial decisions, he cited Naz Foundation v Union of India, in which the Delhi High Court read down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that popular morality cannot restrict fundamental rights under Article 21. Though the judgment was later overturned in Suresh Kumar Koushal v Naz Foundation, the Supreme Court ultimately restored and expanded the principle in Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India, affirming that constitutional morality must prevail over majoritarian views.
“In our constitutional scheme, it is the constitutionality of the issue before the court that is relevant, not the dominant or popular view,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also addressed the functioning of the district judiciary, underlining that trial courts are the first point of contact for most litigants and form the foundation of the justice delivery system. He stressed that due importance must be given to the recording of evidence and adjudication of bail matters.
Highlighting the role of High Courts, he said their supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution is intended as a shield to correct grave jurisdictional errors, not as a mechanism to substitute the discretion or factual appreciation of trial judges.
He recalled that several distinguished judges, including Justice H R Khanna, Justice A M Ahmadi, and Justice Fathima Beevi, began their careers in the district judiciary.
On representation within the judicial system, Justice Bhuyan noted that Telangana has made significant strides in gender inclusion. Out of a sanctioned strength of 655 judicial officers in the Telangana Judicial Service, 478 are currently serving, of whom 283 are women, exceeding 50 per cent representation. He added that members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, minority communities, and persons with disabilities are also represented in the state’s judiciary.
He observed that greater representation of women, marginalised communities, persons with disabilities, and sexual minorities would help make the judiciary more inclusive and reflective of India’s diversity. “The judiciary must represent all the colours of the rainbow and become a rainbow institution,” he said.
Justice Bhuyan also referred to the recent restoration by the Supreme Court of the requirement of a minimum three years of practice at the Bar for entry-level judicial posts. While acknowledging that the requirement ensures practical exposure, he cautioned that its impact on women aspirants, especially those from rural or small-town backgrounds facing social and financial constraints, would need to be carefully observed over time.
Concluding his address, he reiterated that the justice system must strive to bridge the gap between constitutional ideals and lived realities, ensuring that the rule of law remains paramount.
