BENGALURU: A 26-year-old man accused of molesting a woman in southeast Bengaluru during the early hours of April 3 has been arrested in Kerala, following an intensive week-long manhunt. The accused, Santosh Daniel, was tracked down on Sunday in Naduvilangadi after police scanned footage from over 600 CCTV cameras across multiple states.
The incident occurred around 1:52 a.m. near Suddaguntepalya as the victim and her friend were returning to their PG accommodation in Bharati Layout after stepping out for green tea. CCTV footage captured the suspect approaching the women, forcibly pushing one against a wall, and molesting her before fleeing the scene. The disturbing video quickly went viral, prompting widespread public outrage and forcing the police to act.
Authorities registered an FIR on April 6, days after the incident, based on a complaint filed by a businessman who uploaded the video online. The victim later objected to the video being circulated and declined to file a formal complaint, but the FIR stood.
Santosh Daniel, a resident of Gulbarga Colony in Tilak Nagar, worked as a test driver at a luxury car showroom in Brookefield. He lived with his mother and younger brother, an auto driver, in Bengaluru. Originally from Thally in Tamil Nadu’s Krishnagiri district, Santosh fled the city on April 9 after learning that the police were searching for him.
“Four special teams were deployed to trace him. He switched off his phone, avoided ATMs, and didn’t make any online transactions, making it harder to track him,” a senior police officer explained. “We scanned hundreds of CCTV cameras and visited multiple locations including Hosur, Salem, and Kozhikode.”
Investigators said that after the video went viral, Santosh initially traveled to Hosur by bus, then moved to Salem, followed by Kozhikode, and finally reached Naduvilangadi in Kerala. The breakthrough came when officers identified his scooter’s license plate through CCTV footage. Using the address linked to the vehicle registration, they reached his home, only to find he had already fled.
“From there, we began piecing together his movements using surveillance footage and other leads. On Sunday morning, we finally tracked him down in Naduvilangadi,” said a member of the investigation team.
The arrest marks a significant step in the case that had sparked public anger and concern over women’s safety in the city. Police are expected to formally present Santosh in court and proceed with legal action under appropriate sections.
