Cyber menace unchecked

 

Disturbed by the incident, she filed a complaint with the cyber cell. Asha says that she is determined to find the culprit, who uploaded a fake video of her on the internet. “I have been assured by the cyber police that the proceedings are on and the wrongdoer will be apprehended at the earliest. I don’t think it would be a difficult task for our cyber cell. I have filed this case not just for myself, but to safeguard the dignity of all women. Nobody can malign the dignity of a woman through these kinds of heinous acts. The current situation is so bad that we are scared of even using trial rooms and washrooms. Something should be done to catch them,” she said. 

 

This is not the sole incident. There have been many such occurrences in the past. Actresses Aparna Nair, Gayathri Arun, and Sreelakshmi Sreekumar are a few other popular figures who have confronted this earlier. Recently, a student from Thiruvananthapuram had been arrested by the police for uploading a fake video and creating a fake account of Gayathri Arun in social media. But in most cases, the issue is forgotten by all after a while. Nobody knows what happened to their complaints.

 

Actress Aparna Nair, who had filed a complaint when a fake picture of hers circulated on Facebook, says that no action has been taken so far. “I had filed the petition with the Kochi Police Commissioner in November last year. He later recommended that case to the cyber cell. Months have passed, but no action has been taken. My friends and cousins, who have got this picture on their phones, were willing to reveal who shared the picture with them. But, our police didn’t even ask them about it. Last month, I enquired about the progress of the case and I was informed that the case has been transferred to the North Police station,” she says. “We need efficient officers who are trained in cracking cyber crimes,” she adds. 

 

However, Sreelakshmi Sreekumar, daughter of actor Jagathy Sreekumar, whose pictures went around on WhatsApp, says that she is satisfied with the investigation by Thiruvananathapuram Cyber cell. “It is difficult to trace the person, when things are passed through WhatsApp. It will take a little time. But, as soon as I posted on my official page that I have complained to the cyber cell, the sharing of the perverted image decreased. Police have told me that if the image appears again on Facebook, they will arrest the person who uploads it. They can send the link to Facebook and take further measures,” she says. 

 

Is there any remedy for this menace? According to cyber expert Dhanya Menon, all we need to do is to make sure the law is enforced. “In cyber cases, there is a time delay in finding the predator as internet is a vast area. But, we can reduce the spreading of purported content to a large extent, if those who download or share it get punished. There is a law to punish them; we just have to execute it. If there is no one to download a fake content, then who will upload it?” she asks. 

 

Now, people are ready to battle against those who try to tarnish their life by uploading pictures while sitting in some corner of this world. But, they expect the concerned authorities to show the same commitment. “Normally people won’t be willing to file a complaint in these kind of issues. I am ready to fight till the end. But, what should I do if they don’t respond?” asks Aparna Nair as a representative of many who have been tortured by cyber criminals.