The Sultan Bazar police have arrested three men for stalking and harassing women students of Veeranari Chakali Ilamma Women’s University (formerly Koti Women’s College), Hyderabad.

The accused were identified as Pilli Srinivas, 23, a driver from Miyapur, Surampalli Venkateshwarla Vara Prasad, 19, a housekeeping worker from Kompally, and Samudrala Harish, 25, a delivery boy from Borabanda.

An officer from the Sultan Bazar police said that the trio obtained phone numbers of students through other offenders and began harassing them over calls and WhatsApp. “They questioned the students about their marital status, health issues and gynaecological matters, and pressured them to visit locations in Miyapur, Dilsukhnagar and Kukatpally under the pretext of health check-ups,” said the officer.

They also spread false information that around 20 students had gone missing from the hostel campus, creating panic among students, added the officer.

The case was registered following a complaint on September 5 by Vinita Pandey, Director of Student Affairs at the university, who reported repeated harassment of students and the circulation of fake messages. The accused were produced before court on September 13 and remanded to judicial custody.