Kochi student booked for morphing photos of classmates, teachers; expelled from college

​Kochi: Thrikkakara police have registered a case against a second-year undergraduate student of Bharata Mata College on charges of morphing photographs of female students and teachers into sexually explicit visuals and circulating them through social media platforms.

The accused, a second-year BBA (Logistics) student, was booked after the college Principal-in-Charge submitted a written complaint.

The police have invoked Section 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (acts intended to insult the modesty of a woman); Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (publication or transmission of obscene material in electronic form) and Section 119(1)(b) of the Kerala Police Act (taking, distributing or publishing photographs or recordings in violation of privacy).

According to the FIR, the alleged offences took place between December 1, 2025, and September 2, 2026. The college dismissed the student on Wednesday following the complaint and an initial disciplinary inquiry.

Speaking to Onmanorama, a senior official of Bharata Mata College said the college acted immediately after receiving information about the alleged misuse of photographs.

“A boy studying in our BBA programme took photographs of teachers and students during formal college events, used AI to modify them, and sent them to Telegram links, converting them into explicit videos and circulating them. We received the information from a few students on Tuesday evening. The Disciplinary Committee convened on Wednesday morning itself, recommended his dismissal, and the Council approved it. He was dismissed immediately. It is a serious offence, and we have filed a formal complaint with the police,” the official said.

The student’s parents were summoned to the college and informed about the matter. The college also confiscated his mobile phone and handed it over to the police. The college’s Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), constituted to address sexual harassment complaints, is also examining the matter.

“The Internal Complaints Committee against sexual harassment is also looking into it. If students have any further evidence, they can present it before the committee, and we will forward it to the police,” the official added.

Meanwhile, police said they were conducting a preliminary inquiry to establish the authenticity and extent of the allegations before taking further action, including arrest. “A case has been registered based on the Principal’s complaint, but we have to get further clarity before proceeding with an arrest,” said a police officer.

According to the police, the accused student appears to have taken normal photographs and modified them using AI. "As part of the preliminary inquiry, we examined the student’s phone in the presence of some of the concerned students. However, we did not find photographs of those students on the device during the verification. We need to identify the affected parties and record their statements before taking further action,” the officer added.