M’luru: Three arrested for fabricating & circulating obscene letters, defaming lady professor

Mangaluru: Three persons have been arrested for allegedly making posters and letters with obscene language against professors of a reputed college including a lady professor of a college and circulating them, police said on Wednesday.

The accused have been identified as K Prakash Shenoy (44) of Layila Mane in Belthangady, Pradeep Poojary (36) of Siddakatte, and Taranath B S Shetty (32) of Hebri in Udupi.

Incidentally, all the accused were staff of the college in Bantwal where the lady professor worked. Professional and personal enmity seems to be the motive behind the crime, police said.

The action was taken against the accused after the professor lodged a complaint about the defamation and mental agony suffered due to the posters.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar said that the accused not only printed the abusive, defamatory, and derogatory letters and posters but also pasted them in several public places including public toilets, bus stops, etc. in Sullia, Subrahmanya, Sampaje, Madikeri, Mysuru, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, and other neighboring districts.

These posters had personal details of the professor printed on them, including her photograph, email id, and phone numbers, he said.

Police said they have confiscated 3 mobile phones from the accused.

There may be many others involved in the case and police are investigating the case further, the Compol added.

Among the accused, Pradeep Poojary was earlier named as an accused in another case of defaming a female professor in 2019, police added.