Study reveals rising cases of online sexual exploitation of children in Karnataka
BENGALURU: According to a state-level study conducted by the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) in collaboration with Child Fund India a growing number of children in Karnataka are becoming vulnerable to online sexual exploitation and abuse, while most parents, teachers and even government officials remain ill-equipped to address or prevent such risks. The study released on Friday, shows growing concerns over children’s online safety, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic which saw increased unsupervised internet usage.
The report was made public by Basavaraj Horatti, Chairman of the Karnataka Legislative Council. It included 903 students in the districts of Bengaluru, Chamarajanagar, Raichur, Chikkamagaluru and Belagavi who were enrolled in school and between the ages of 8 and 18. The study employed multi-stage random sampling with six schools from each district, with 30 students from each school participating, representing three age groups: 8–11, 12–14, and 15–18 years.
The findings indicate that with approximately 10% (17% of boys and 4% of girls) having met those strangers in person, one in six teenagers reported having interacted with strangers online in the past year. Children from rural areas (12%) were slightly more likely than their urban counterparts (9%) to meet strangers offline. The report also revealed that 1% of children admitted to sharing intimate photos or videos with online strangers, while 7% disclosed personal information such as full names, phone numbers, addresses, personal photographs, and videos.
Teenagers aged 15 to 18 were identified as the most vulnerable group to unsafe online interactions. About 5% within this age bracket reported feeling unsafe or embarrassed due to their online experiences, with Instagram accounting for 77% of these incidents. While in 53% of the cases, the perpetrator was a stranger, 35% involved known individuals and 12% involved both. Only 34% of parents took formal action like approaching law enforcement despite these alarming statistics. The majority chose instead to block offenders or delete conversations without reporting the incidents.
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Probe into Zubeen Garg's death ongoing, no foul play suspected yet: Singapore police
Singapore (PTI): Investigations into the death of singer Zubeen Garg are ongoing but so far no foul play is suspected, Singapore police have said.
Garg died under mysterious circumstances while swimming in the sea in Singapore on September 19.
The case is currently still being investigated by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), in accordance with the Singapore Coroners Act 2010, the police said on Thursday.
“Based on our investigations so far, the SPF does not suspect foul play in the death of Garg,” said the statement.
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Upon completion of the investigations, the findings will be submitted to the State Coroner in Singapore, who will hold a Coroner’s Inquiry (CI), currently scheduled for January and February 2026.
A CI is a fact-finding process led by the Coroner to establish the cause and circumstances of death. Its findings will be made public upon conclusion, said the SPF.
Singapore police are committed to conducting a thorough and professional investigation into the case, it said.
“We seek the patience and understanding of the parties involved. Meanwhile, we urge the public not to speculate and spread unverified information,” said SPF.
A Special Investigation Team probing Garg's death charged four accused, including the singer’s secretary Siddhartha Sharma and festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, with murder in a chargesheet filed in a court in India last week.
Garg was due to perform at the 4th Northeast India Festival at Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on September 20.
