August 15, 2026 06:22 am (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Ajit Doval breaks silence on Operation Sindoor in Discovery’s explosive new docuseries | Rahul Gandhi's 'mock hug' taunt sparks row; Centre stresses 'mutual respect' with Italy | Delhi on high alert: Bomb threat to High Court, airport and multiple locations ahead of I-Day | ‘Who are they to interfere?’: CJI Surya Kant slams Bar Council of India over NALSAR students’ enrolment row | 'Shows how low Congress has sunk': BJP slams Rahul Gandhi over Modi foreign policy jibe | From guns to glamour: Former women Maoists walk the ramp in Chhattisgarh | Netaji row: Suvendu Adhikari govt strips BJP MP Anant Maharaj of state honour | Sukhbir Badal attacked by Nihang Sikh with kirpan at Maharashtra gurdwara; assailant detained | ‘If you cannot do it, we will pass an order’: Supreme Court’s final warning to Centre on food labels | ‘Time to move on’: Bombay HC sends strong message in Vijay Mallya-bank dispute
Pravna Bhatt openly acknowledged exchanging sexually explicit messages with a 14-year-old girl. Photo: Videograb from X.

Indian graduate confronted in UK over alleged sexual grooming of minor

| @indiablooms | Jun 05, 2026, at 11:02 pm

A viral social media video has exposed a deeply troubling incident in the United Kingdom involving 27-year-old Pravna Bhatt, an Indian national accused of attempting to sexually groom a minor.

The footage shows Bhatt being cornered and questioned by local vigilantes identifying themselves as "British patriots."

During the confrontation, a visibly shaken Bhatt is seen admitting to his actions and pleading with the group for leniency and a "last chance."

Explicit texts sent despite awareness of legal consequences

According to the report, Bhatt openly acknowledged exchanging sexually explicit messages with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl.

Evidence from the digital exchange indicates he was fully aware of the illegal nature of his actions; upon learning the girl's age, he allegedly messaged, "I will go to jail," accompanied by laughing emojis.

Despite this realization, he continued the inappropriate communication, sent an explicit video of himself, and urged the minor to sneak into his room.

Attempted real-world meeting interrupted

The grooming attempt escalated from online messaging to an attempted physical encounter. Bhatt allegedly tried to borrow money from the minor to book a hotel room where they could meet.

He was reportedly intercepted and confronted by the vigilante group at the designated meeting location while waiting for the individual to arrive.

It remains unconfirmed whether the operation utilized an adult decoy profile—a standard tactic in online grooming stings—or if a minor was directly targeted.

Growing public scrutiny

Bhatt revealed during the confrontation that he moved to the UK three years ago on a student visa, graduating from the University of Leeds, and was currently residing in the country on a post-study work visa.

This incident follows a similar high-profile case from January, where another international student, Gureet Jeetesh, was arrested in Coventry under similar allegations.

These consecutive incidents have fueled intensified public debate regarding visa oversight and student conduct in the UK.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.