Uttara Kannada Sub-Inspector Arrested on POCSO Charge

A complaint by the 16-year-old's family triggered a POCSO probe into the conduct of an officer assigned to duty in Bhatkal.

Overview

Police arrested a serving Sub-Inspector identified in reports as Abhinandan (also reported as Abhinandan Gowda/Gouda) after a 16-year-old and her family filed a complaint alleging sexual assault in a lodge in Bhatkal.
Bhatkal police registered a First Information Report under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and began an active criminal investigation into the allegations.
Officers say the accused had been posted to Manki police station a few months earlier and was deployed for bandobast duty in Bhatkal when he came into contact with the minor.
Media accounts agree on the arrest and POCSO registration but differ on some biographical details such as spelling of the name and the accused's reported hometown, which remain unconfirmed.
If the POCSO case proceeds it will typically involve medical examination, evidence gathering and a possible departmental inquiry into the officer's conduct, with legal outcomes to follow as investigators complete their work.