IIT graduate, 14 others, arrested for possession of child pornography in Telangana

Telangana’s Cyber Security Bureau has arrested 15 people, including an IIT graduate, in a coordinated crackdown targeting online child sexual abuse material (CSAM). According to a Hindustan Times report, most suspects are well-educated men in their 20s, hailing from middle-class families.

Telangana State Cyber Security Bureau director Shikha Goel said the operation focused on repeat offenders involved in uploading, storing, and disseminating nude and sexually explicit content involving minors aged 6 to 14. Notably, at least one suspect holds an IIT degree and works at a reputed tech firm, while another is an engineering graduate currently job-seeking.

“Most of the content originates from foreign victims, predominantly girls aged between 6 and 14, with 90% of material involving female children,” Goel told the Telangana Today.

All arrested individuals have since been remanded by a court.

Shikha Goel told NDTV that the accused appeared to be part of a single group sharing sexual material targeting minors.

"All of them appeared to be part of closed user groups sharing such material. Whether they are part of any organised gang or cartel is still under investigation,” she said.

Goel also revealed that the suspects likely operated through closed user groups, distributing illicit content as part of a collective network.

Investigators are still determining whether these groups are part of larger organised gangs or criminal cartels.

The operation unfolded during a one-day, state-wide sweep informed by 57 cyber tip-line complaints. Law enforcement teams across Hyderabad, Yadagirigutta, Karimnagar, Warangal, and Jagtial executed the coordinated arrests.

Following the operation, 34 FIRs were registered under relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act and the POCSO Act. According to media reports, the accused are under judicial custody.