Dakshina Kannada,  The Karnataka police on Thursday arrested three persons including two professors for writing defamatory messages against a former woman colleague and pasting the handbills in public toilets across Karnataka to harass her.

The accused have been identified as Prakash Shenoy (44), Head of Administration of a college, Pradeep Poojari (36) and B.S. Shetty (32).

According to the police, the accused had prepared handbills with defamatory messages, cell number and email id of the victim, who was their former colleague.

One of the accused, Pradeep Poojari, was also accused of defaming another female professor in 2019.

The accused had allegedly put up the posters in the public toilets of all bus stands in Suliya, Subramanya, Sampaje, Madikeri, Mysuru, Chikkamagalur, Mudigere, Balehonnur, N.R. Pura, Shivamogga and some other cities.

The police said that the victim, a professor who taught Kannada, was targeted and harassed by the management of a reputed college near Bantwal city. After she quit the college and joined another institution, the accused started harassing her.

The victim had lodged a complaint with Mangaluru Women's Police station regarding the defamatory messages in public toilets. Further investigation is on.