An Indian-origin asso­ci­ate professor at the University of Califor­nia San Diego has come under scrutiny after a viral video showed him being confronted in an alleged online child predator sting. In the footage, Nisarg Shah is accused of attempting to meet someone he believed to be a boy, 14, for alleged sexual activity. San Diego Police have confirmed a probe is on. Shah has denied all allegations. He was briefly detained during the confrontation but was released at the scene.

The professor was targeted in a vigilante sting coordinated by online activists. The August 2 video of the confrontation, in Pavilions’ grocery store in San Diego’s Hillcrest community, was first published by a group “People v Preds”, as per a local digital media outlet, SanDiegoVille.