Two West Bengal men held for child pornography in Indore:House Brothers at Dewas NGO for tribal children found circulating videos; IT Act case registered, mobiles seized

The State Cyber Cell, Indore, has arrested two men from West Bengal for allegedly downloading, viewing, and distributing child pornography on social media platforms. Both accused were working at a prestigious NGO-run hostel in Khategaon, Dewas district, which provides free education and accommodation to underprivileged and tribal children. The arrested men have been identified as: 2. Pradeep Bagdi, resident of Gadbeta, Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal. Complaint originated from NCRP According to officials, the case began after the State Cyber Cell, Indore, received a complaint through the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCME) under the Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. The report alleged that obscene videos involving minors were being uploaded and downloaded via mobile. During the investigation, officials recovered 15 video files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from the accused’s device. Accused found working in NGO hostel for tribal children While tracing the IP address and mobile location, investigators found that the device, though registered in Paschim Medinipur, West Bengal, was being operated from Khategaon in Dewas district. On further probe, police discovered that the accused were employed at a reputed NGO in Khategaon, which runs a hostel for tribal and economically weaker children, offering free lodging and education. Both accused worked there as ‘House Brothers’, responsible for the supervision and welfare of the children residing in the hostel. The revelation has raised serious concerns, as the duo were living among minors while allegedly engaging in such criminal activities. Cyber cell arrests the accused with NGO’s cooperation Acting on the findings, a team led by Inspector Dinesh Verma, Sub-Inspector Chauhan, and Head Constable Rakesh Bamniya reached the location with the help of technical surveillance and local sources. In coordination with the NGO management, the team apprehended both suspects and seized the mobile phones used in the offence. During interrogation, main accused Lakshmi Kant Bagdi admitted to receiving child pornography videos from various WhatsApp and Telegram groups and sharing them further. Co-accused Pradeep Bagdi confessed that Lakshmi Kant had shown him the videos and that he had accessed them using his mobile hotspot connection. Case registered under IT act A case has been registered under Sections 67 and 67(B) of the Information Technology Act, 2000, for transmitting and publishing sexually explicit material involving minors. The seized mobile phones have been sent to the State Cyber Forensic Laboratory for examination, and further investigation is underway to identify the online networks used by the accused. Officials condemn the crime, highlight child safety concerns The operation was conducted under the supervision of Superintendent of Police (Cyber) Savyasachi Saraf and Deputy SP (Cyber). Officials stated that the case highlights the disturbing misuse of digital platforms and called it a serious breach of trust, as the accused were employed in a facility meant to nurture and protect children. The accused were responsible for the care of tribal and underprivileged students, yet they engaged in crimes that exploit minors. The Cyber Cell is committed to taking strict action against such offenders to ensure the safety of children both online and offline. an officer said.