Ahmedabad, Oct 12 (SocialNews.XYZ) Three juveniles allegedly edited a woman's garba video and uploaded it to a fake Instagram account to gain followers, while other accused allegedly used morphed photographs, fake profiles and threats to harass women, as Ahmedabad City Cyber Crime Branch registered nine FIRs in a month under its 'Mission Cyber Rakshika', police said on Monday.
The cases have led to the arrest of eight adult accused, including a woman, and action against three juveniles. The complaints include alleged cyberstalking, impersonation, cyberbullying, the circulation of obscene material and extortion.
Most of the victims are from Ahmedabad, while the accused were traced to different parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and Mumbai. Launched under the supervision of senior officials, “Mission Cyber Rakshika – #SecureHerSpace” aims to protect women and children from online offences, facilitate prompt registration of cases and maintain the confidentiality of complainants.
“Under this mission, we have registered nine FIRs in the past month and arrested eight accused, including one woman, besides apprehending three juveniles,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cybercrime) Dr Lavina Sinha said.
She said the cases involved different forms of misuse of social media, including the editing and morphing of photographs and videos and their circulation through fake accounts to increase likes, views and followers or to harass women following personal disputes.
One of the cases concerns a woman's garba video during Navratri. According to police, three school-going juveniles, all below 18 years of age, obtained the video, edited it, added obscene text and uploaded it to a fake Instagram profile to increase their followers and likes.
The woman was allegedly defamed and subjected to mental harassment. Police said the juveniles had allegedly used their parents' mobile numbers to create Instagram accounts.
In another case, photographs and videos on a woman's private social media profile, originally accessible only to a limited group of friends, were allegedly shared with others.
An accused subsequently obtained the material, edited it and uploaded it to a fake profile to increase his likes and followers. A separate complaint involved a fake Instagram account using a woman's photograph to send messages to her husband's friends while impersonating her.
Police said the account was allegedly used to damage her reputation. In another case, a man allegedly created a fake Instagram account using a woman's photograph and sent an obscene video of her to her sister's account after a disagreement following their romantic relationship.
Police also reported a case involving a woman whose photograph was allegedly used to create a fake Facebook profile through which obscene messages, including references to a “fixed rate of Rs 2,000”, were circulated.
The accused had previously run a milk parlour in Ahmedabad and allegedly resorted to the act after the woman declined his advances for friendship when she visited the shop.
Another complaint concerned a fake Instagram account created using a woman's photograph and the name Jaybhai. The account allegedly carried obscene abuse beneath her photograph, with the accused seeking to increase followers and likes while defaming her.
Some cases arose from disputes involving former partners, personal acquaintances and family members. In one instance, an accused allegedly circulated a video claiming that a woman was involved in an extramarital relationship.
Police said the dispute stemmed from an incident involving a scooter and a subsequent confrontation in which the woman's friend allegedly assaulted the accused's mother.
Cross-cases were registered at Ellisbridge police station, and the accused obtained bail. He allegedly held a grudge and circulated the video to damage the woman's reputation.
In another case, a man allegedly created a fake Instagram account using a woman's photograph and sent nude photographs to her fiancé after she refused to marry him and blocked him.
Police said the alleged intention was to disrupt her engagement. The complainant had reportedly begun communicating with the accused after receiving an Instagram follow request in 2021.
A further complaint involved a fake Instagram account allegedly created by a man who resented a female colleague's friendship with another co-worker. The complainant, the accused, and the other man worked at the same place.
The accused allegedly created an account in the complainant's name and used it to message his sister, causing harassment. One of the more serious cases involves alleged blackmail and extortion of Rs 1,21,111.
According to police, the accused established contact with the complainant through Instagram, met her in person and sought to persuade her to enter into a physical relationship.
When she refused, he allegedly threatened to disclose personal information about her and her family, including their mobile numbers. The accused initially demanded Rs two lakh through WhatsApp.
He later contacted the woman through Snapchat and allegedly claimed that he regretted his actions and needed to arrange a religious purification ritual. He demanded Rs 1,21,111 for the ceremony, promising to return the money by October 2.
On September 22, the complainant allegedly transferred Rs 21,111 through Google Pay. The accused then accompanied her to an ICICI Bank ATM on Corporate Road in Prahladnagar, where a further Rs one lakh was withdrawn.
Police said the complaint involved alleged cheating and extortion in connection with the demand for money under the pretext of the ritual.
Sinha said the accused came from varied backgrounds, including school students, people educated up to Class 10 and working professionals with technical or professional qualifications.
The cases also included a woman accused of allegedly misusing social media to retaliate against her boyfriend over a dispute arising from their earlier relationship.
The Cyber Crime Branch formed separate teams to investigate the fake accounts and used technical analysis of information obtained from social media platforms to identify those allegedly involved.
The teams travelled to different parts of Ahmedabad and Gujarat, as well as Rajasthan and Maharashtra, to trace the accused. Police have also initiated action to remove objectionable posts and accounts from social media platforms.
"'Mission Cyber Rakshika' had been operational for around two months. The police press note separately refers to around 11 FIRs registered during an earlier two-month period under the campaign. The nine FIRs mentioned in the latest update relate to the past month," she said.
With Navratri under way, police have issued a separate advisory on online safety. “Our special appeal to the public during Navratri is not to scan fake QR codes,” Sinha said, urging people to verify advertisements offering free garba passes or discounts before making payments.
“Purchase passes only through the official websites or applications of the garba venues,” she said, cautioning against offers circulated by third parties on social media without verification.
Police have also advised women to keep their social media profiles private, regularly review their followers and restrict access to photographs and videos to people they trust.
Unknown friend and follow requests should be treated cautiously, while personal information, live locations and intimate photographs or videos should not be shared with strangers.
The advisory also warns against “rent-a-partner” scams and suspicious links or QR codes. People receiving such requests should verify the source before responding or downloading material.
“Do not pay someone who blackmails or threatens you. Payment often does not stop blackmail and may lead to further demands,” the police advisory states.
It also emphasises that online harassment is not the victim's fault and that victims should seek help rather than suffer in silence.
Source: IANS
About Gopi
Gopi Adusumilli is a Programmer. He is the editor of SocialNews.XYZ and President of AGK Fire Inc.
He enjoys designing websites, developing mobile applications and publishing news articles on current events from various authenticated news sources.
When it comes to writing he likes to write about current world politics and Indian Movies. His future plans include developing SocialNews.XYZ into a News website that has no bias or judgment towards any.
He can be reached at gopi@socialnews.xyz