Thiruvananthapuram, 08 September (H.S.): Kerala Police have arrested a 26-year-old mobile phone technician in connection with the alleged morphing and online circulation of photographs of college students in Malappuram district.

The accused, identified as Subin Babu, is a resident of Odamkuzhi in Thirumala, Thiruvananthapuram. A police team led by Malappuram district police chief Chaithra Teresa John travelled to the state capital and took him into custody following a cyber investigation.

The probe was launched after complaints emerged from about 12 colleges in Malappuram district over manipulated photographs being circulated online. Investigators found that images of students and other individuals had allegedly been collected from Instagram accounts, digitally altered and distributed through fake social-media profiles.

Police sought information from Meta and other authorities as part of efforts to trace the person operating the accounts. The technical and account-related details gathered during the investigation helped officers identify Subin as the suspected operator.

According to preliminary information, Subin admitted his involvement during questioning. Police, however, are expected to examine his digital devices and online activity to establish the extent of the operation and determine whether anyone else assisted him.

Investigators suspect that the accused may have earned money by circulating the morphed photographs. They are examining how the content was distributed, who received it and whether any payment channels or networks were involved.

The cyber police had been conducting a consolidated investigation after taking into account complaints received from the colleges. Officers are also likely to verify the number of victims and identify every fake account used in the alleged offence.

Further legal action will be taken on the basis of evidence collected during the investigation. Police have not yet disclosed the number of altered images circulated or the period over which the accounts operated.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman