Thiruvananthapuram, July 24:
The investigation into the alleged image morphing case involving a Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, student has widened, with police registering a total of five First Information Reports (FIRs) after more women students came forward with complaints. The accused, Abel Augustine, will be produced before a court on Friday, and investigators are expected to seek his custody for further questioning.
Abel Augustine, a third-year MBBS student from Wayanad, is accused of morphing photographs of classmates and senior students and circulating the manipulated images through an Instagram account. The case first surfaced after a fellow student lodged a complaint with the Medical College Police. Although he was arrested in the initial case, a local court later granted him bail.
The grant of bail was followed by a fresh wave of complaints from other students, who alleged that they too had been targeted in a similar manner. Police subsequently registered additional FIRs, taking the total number of cases against the accused to five. Investigators believe more victims could come forward as the probe progresses.
The handling of the complaints had triggered strong criticism from students, who accused the police of delaying action despite receiving multiple complaints. They alleged that victims were kept waiting at the police station for several hours without their statements being recorded and questioned the initial reluctance to register separate cases.
Student organisations joined the protest, which continued late into the night outside the Medical College Police Station, demanding prompt registration of all complaints and a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
With multiple FIRs now in place, police are preparing to seek the accused’s custodial interrogation to examine the digital evidence, trace the origin and circulation of the morphed images, and identify whether additional offences or victims are involved. Investigators said the probe would continue based on the complaints received and any further evidence that emerges during the course of the investigation.
