Mangaluru: Two persons, a father and his son, have been booked for alleged moral policing, assault and caste-based abuse of a minor schoolboy near a railway track under the Mangaluru South police station limits.
According to the complaint filed by the boy’s father, the incident occurred around 4 pm on February 23 when his 14-year-old son, a Class 9 student, was speaking with a Class 10 girl near a railway track after school hours. The accused have been identified as Steevan Monteiro and his son Avil.
Alleged confrontation and video recording
As per the complaint, the accused approached the two minors, recorded a video of them on a mobile phone and accused them of engaging in a public display of affection. They allegedly threatened the students and verbally abused them using foul language.
The complainant stated that the video recorded during the confrontation was later circulated on social media platforms. Following the incident, the girl reportedly left the spot.
When the boy attempted to leave, Avil allegedly stopped him and took him from the railway track area to an adjacent road. The accused allegedly demanded the girl’s residential address and continued to intimidate the boy.
Allegations of caste-based abuse and assault
The complaint further alleges that both accused abused the boy using caste-based slurs and physically assaulted him. The boy’s father stated that the family belongs to a Scheduled Caste community.
He also claimed that he was acquainted with the accused, who runs a laundry business in the Shivanagar area. Despite this familiarity, the accused allegedly continued to verbally abuse both the father and the son, deliberately targeting them based on their caste. They were also accused of blaming the boy and his family for the circulation of the video online.
The complainant has urged the authorities to take strict action against the accused for allegedly humiliating and assaulting a minor and for invoking caste-based insults.
Case registered under BNS and SC/ST Act
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case under Sections 126(2), 115(2), 352, 351(1) and 79 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). In addition, Sections 3(1)(r) and 3(1)(s) of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act have been invoked in view of the alleged caste-based abuse.
Police sources said that the matter is under investigation and further action will be taken based on the findings. Officials are also examining the alleged circulation of the video on social media as part of the probe.