Gujarat High Court Imposes Woman Rs 25,000 Fine for Circulating Roommate's Private Photos

Judge Nirzar Desai made an oral remark to the accused's lawyer who had filed a plea to have the FIR quashed during the case's deliberation, “First you click someone’s obscene photographs, circulate it on social media. What about the reputation of that girl, she is also a college-going girl… Considering she is also in her early 20s, I’m imposing lesser costs.”

After the victim girl’s father consented to withdraw his complaint by stating that both parties had reached a settlement, the FIR was canceled. The FIR was filed at the cyber police station Ahmedabad range on March 30, 2021. It stated that in an attempt to "defame my daughter and to break my daughter's engagement," a fake Instagram ID called "mitul patel 369" had sent his daughter's fiance offensive photos through his Instagram handle.

The FIR stated that his daughter assumed her hostel roommate was responsible for the act since several guys had been posting his daughter's photo online for the previous five months and forwarding it to her fiance and his friends. At the time of COVID-19, the complainant's daughter was staying at home and taking online college classes at the time of the FIR.

An FIR was registered under Section 507 (criminal intimidation by anonymous communication) and Information Technology Act Section 66C (identity theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The accused was given a week to pay Rs 25,000 to the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority, failing which the order permitting the quashing of the FIR would not be implemented.