Pune man who sparked scare on Bengaluru platform arrested in Mumbai

On Diwali morning, November 7, a Delhi-based gynaecologist Dr Shweta Singh, who chose to take queries on the online healthcare portal – Practo – encountered a shocking case.

The patient was inquiring if he could have impregnated a 10-year-old girl by ejaculating on her vagina. Ten days later, in the wee hours of Saturday, after two FIRs – one at Greater NOIDA and another at Bengaluru’s Puttenahalli police station – the Bengaluru police apprehended the pervert Siddharth Karanth, (who made the query from a Pune IP address) from his parents place at Ghatkopar East. It took a massive man-hunt spearheaded by the Bengaluru police, involving the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development, National Commission for Protection and Child Rights (NCPCR) and later Mumbai police team. However, Karanth is likely walk out a free man as police are convinced that he actually did not commit the act.

It turns out 34-year-old Karanth had posted the query to shock the doctor and had no clue about the consequences it would have, or that is his claim to the police. ”We are closing the case as it has been confirmed that he made the post but did not commit the crime. We have checked in detail and it has been found that he did not do any such act. For every crime there has to be a victim,” said K Annamalai, deputy commissioner of police (South), Bengaluru.


After the doctor alerted authorities in the National Capital Region and also the police in Bengaluru, where Practo is based, a case was filed at Puttenahalli police station under Section 8 (sexual assault) of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (POCSO). With the help of the cyber-crime division the IP address of the culprit, who went under the username SID, was tracked down.

The man, however, could not be located and finally his mobile was traced to Ghatkopar (East). His parents live near Pantnagar and he was visiting them. Physical examination, his digital footprints, including his mobile call records, tower locations verified that he did not abuse any girl, as he mentioned in his post. “It appears that he has some behavioural deviancy. But this case against him in our jurisdiction will not stand. It is left the Maharashtra police to ensure that he is kept under some sort of surveillance given the nature of his post,” a senior Bengaluru police officer said. In fact, Karanth’s mobile phone, now in the custody of the cops, reveal several Google searches and visit to objectionable websites.

Meanwhile, NCPCR, which pursued the case very seriously has reportedly demanded that a case be booked against Practo for alleged delay in providing information about the user. But the Bengaluru police have not charged the online portal on the grounds that they had co-operated with the investigation. A Practo spokesperson also took the same line of argument, when contacted. Earlier this week, NCRCR summoned DCP Annamalai to appear before the commission in New Delhi, with regard to this case.

Also Dr Singh is not convinced that Karanth’s was merely a prank query. “His address was traced to Pune five times when Practo searched. If he is just a pervert who was asking questions to get a kick, he would have never revealed the right age. If he just wanted to have fun, he could have said any age. He had immediately replied ’10 years’. And why did he want to know if sperms can impregnate a 10-year-old? This means that he could have either actually committed the crime or might have thought of doing it. The victim could be anyone from his family or neighbourhood too,” she argued.

Meanwhile Puttenahalli police are recording the statement of Karanth and are also conducting verification of his claims before formally closing the case. Karanth has claimed that he is working as a field executive in Pune for a Guwahati based cracker company. Police also added that Karanth was unmarried and used to often visit Mumbai also to meet his parents. When asked about the disturbing content of his post, Bengaluru police said that after his release maybe its upto Maharashtra police if they want to keep him under surveillance.

Speaking on the case, Pune police commissioner K Venkatesham said, “We were not contacted by Bangalore police in the last one week or informed about such a case. However, if the accused belongs to Pune at all, we will help Bangalore police if they need it.”