A second-year BBA student at Bharata Mata College in Kochi has been arrested after his mobile phone allegedly revealed a disturbing operation: morphed nude images of teachers and female students were being sold through Telegram groups, and visuals of rooms inside the college's girls' hostel were stored on the device. S. Srihari was taken into custody by the Kakkanad police on 4 September following a complaint lodged by the college management.

What the Phone Allegedly Revealed

Students who examined Srihari's phone with police permission reportedly found a large cache of photographs — including images of female students — that had allegedly been used repeatedly to generate obscene morphed content. According to those who reviewed the device, special Telegram groups had been created specifically to circulate morphed images of both teachers and students.

The apparent method involved sending original photographs into a Telegram chat and receiving morphed versions through the same channel. Evidence of alleged financial transactions — suggesting the morphed nude images were being sold for money — was also reportedly found on the device.

Particularly alarming, investigators say, was the discovery of visuals of the girls' hostel rooms in Srihari's phone gallery. Police are now examining whether photographs were covertly taken inside the hostel and subsequently used to create obscene content.

Access Through College Roles

Srihari was reportedly involved in photography and video editing for official college events and functions, a role that investigators believe gave him access to photographs and videos of teachers and students. Footage of teachers conducting classes was also allegedly captured and later used for morphing, according to the investigation so far.

How the Case Came to Light

The college first received information about the alleged activities on 1 September, when a former student confidentially alerted a female teacher. A preliminary inquiry reportedly confirmed the tip, following which Srihari was suspended and subsequently expelled from the institution.

Campus protests followed, with Students' Federation of India (SFI)-led students staging a sit-in outside the principal's office over the management's handling of the matter. The Kakkanad police arrived on campus and took Srihari into custody thereafter.

Legal Action and Investigation

Police have registered a case under non-bailable provisions, including Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, which deals with publishing or transmitting sexually explicit material in electronic form. The cyber cell has been brought in to trace the digital trail, analyse alleged financial transactions, and determine whether others were involved in obtaining, morphing, circulating, and monetising the images.

Investigators are now probing whether Srihari acted alone or whether a wider network was involved. The full scope of the operation — and the number of victims — remains under examination.