Lip-lock contest: 8 students booked

Mangaluru: Mangaluru city police commissionerate sleuths have charged eight students under the Pocso Act (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) in connection with a kissing contest held at a private property in Mangaluru city on Friday. They all belonged to a college of great repute. The name of the college and the students have been held back at the request of the college and parents.

A video of minor college students smooching uploaded just a week back got traction among the young students of the college and within no time it had reached their parents and teachers and to the management of the college. "This is a case of public obscenity and promiscuity, we have made inquiry with the keepers of a private hostel where this incident has purportedly taken place in January this year and found out that there were issues with the inmates of the private hostel.

According to the police investigation, the students rented the property for two months and took their partners to play a truth and dare game in which they engaged in a lip-lock. The video, which became public, shocked and concerned parents across the state.

The students were charged with Pocso in Mangaluru's Pandeshwara Women police station. According to police sources, one of the students who shot the video and made it viral was initially detained, and three others were later apprehended in conjunction with interrogation.

One of the accused students has fled to another country, and the authorities will examine all of the suspects in the case. The police department had asked college and school officials to keep an eye on students' activities. "We are also investigating if the college student were under the influence of narcotics during the incident or even otherwise were in the habit of substance abuse.