The accused Theodorel Jay Jaffe, 69, a resident of Anner Road, Carriere, Mississippi, US, allegedly watched child porn in March 2011, when he was in Manipal to undergo ayurvedic treatment.
The Interpol, which keeps an eagle eye on such violations, immediately alerted C Santosh Rastogi, Superintendent of Police, CBI, New Delhi, who filed a complaint and, in an official communication, alerted the CID, Karnataka, of Jaffe and the offence.
The Cyber Crime Police booked a case against Jaffe under 67(B) of the IT Act but could not arrest him as he had left the country to the UK. Jaffe was arrested on his return, after immigration officials alerted state Cyber Crime officials when he arrived at Mumbai Airport in the last week of November. Later, he was produced before a court in Bangalore, said CBI sources.
Jaffe — who is a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) and involved in the ‘Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ movement — is currently out on a conditional bail granted in December first week by the city-based Magistrate Court. According to his lawyers, he has taken shelter in ISKCON Mumbai’s Sheshadripuram branch, as his passport and other documents are in court’s custody.
D Roopa, SP, CID, said police would file a charge sheet against him soon. “He allegedly viewed child pornography which is banned under international and local laws,” she said.
Background
Jaffe allegedly watched child pornography in March 2011, when he was in Manipal to undergo ayurvedic treatment
The Interpol, which keeps a tab on viewers of child pornography on the internet, alerts the CBI of Jaffe’s offence
Jaffe had allegedly rented a house and was staying with a woman and her child in Indrali, a place in Manipal town
The CBI then instructs the CID, Karnataka, to investigate the case. The ISP and IP (Internet Protocol) numbers are traced to Indrali and Jaffe’s computer
But police cannot trace Jaffe as he leaves India through Mumbai to the UK. The CID issues a Look Out Circular against Jaffe at all airports
Jaffe arrives in Mumbai in November this year and is arrested at the airport by Cyber Crime Police of the CID, Karnataka
Jaffe is produced before a city-based court and is currently out on a conditional bail
