Softwarica College Marketing Officer, Driver Charged for Sending Obscene Viber Messages to Woman
असार २८, २०८३ १२:४८
Kathmandu. A cybercrime case has been filed against a marketing officer and a driver of a Kathmandu-based IT college for sending obscene photos and videos to a woman through Viber after obtaining her phone number without her consent. The case was registered at the Kathmandu District Court after an investigation by the Nepal Police Cyber Bureau found evidence linking the accused to the offense.
The accused are Ayush Poudel, a marketing officer at Softwarica College in Dillibazar, and the college's driver, Ganesh Chalise. According to the charge sheet, Poudel sent obscene images and videos to the woman late at night via Viber. At the same time, Chalise is accused of facilitating the crime by providing the woman's phone number.
Police said the incident traces back to a trip to Sukute, where Poudel and Chalise had traveled together. During the trip, Chalise allegedly gave Poudel a woman's phone number, claiming she lived in Kathmandu and encouraging him to contact her. After checking the number on Truecaller, which displayed the name "Solo," Poudel saved it under the same name on his phone.
Following the trip, Poudel reportedly attempted to call the woman several times. When his calls went unanswered, he allegedly sent obscene photos and videos to her Viber account after 11 p.m.
During police questioning, Poudel admitted sending the explicit content, claiming he mistakenly believed the woman was a sex worker. Investigators said the victim never responded to his messages or interacted with him in any way.
Chalise, however, denied providing the woman's phone number or making the alleged remarks during the Sukute trip. Despite his denial, police stated that their investigation confirmed his involvement after Poudel identified him as the person who supplied the victim's contact details.
According to investigators, the woman began receiving repeated obscene messages and late-night calls from an unknown number, causing serious distress and affecting both her personal and family life. She later filed a written complaint with the Cyber Bureau.
Police arrested Poudel from the Dillibazar-Gyaneshwar area near Softwarica College and seized an iPhone allegedly used to send the explicit content. Chalise was later taken into custody, and his Samsung mobile phone was also confiscated. Digital forensic analysis confirmed that the obscene materials had been sent from Poudel's device.
The District Government Attorney's Office, Kathmandu, has charged Poudel under Section 47(1) of the Electronic Transactions Act, 2006, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, a fine of up to Rs. 100,000, or both upon conviction.
Prosecutors have also sought half the principal punishment for Chalise, arguing that he aided the commission of the offense by providing the victim's phone number. In addition, the charge sheet requests confiscation of both mobile phones used in the crime, reasonable compensation for the victim, and deposit of the compensation amount into the Victim Relief Fund in accordance with the Crime Victim Protection Act, 2018.
The charge sheet was filed at the Kathmandu District Court last Wednesday.
पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार २८, २०८३ १२:४८
