Comment carefully, three years jail sentence if caught; police operation on social media to detect cyber-harassment

Sunday 12 January 2025 12:14 AM IST

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The police have intensified surveillance and checks to nab those who abuse women on social media. ADGP Manoj Abraham, in-charge of law and order, told 'Kerala Kaumudi' that cyber police have been directed to detect the posting of offensive videos and pictures and the sexual and derogatory responses to them.

The police can file a case against such people even if there is no complaint. A non-bailable charge of up to three years in prison will be filed if there are sexually abusive comments or posts. Commenting on someone else's post or picture also falls into this category. Cyber ​​police have special software to detect abuses. The special operation was started with this.

"Comments and insults will be clearly separated to avoid misuse. Police are not against freedom of speech. However, abusive or sexually lewd comments, images or videos are not allowed. Hate propaganda, insulting women etc will also be found" - said Manoj Abraham.

Magistrate also not safe

A case was filed against a YouTube channel for cyber-harassing a lady, who is a first-class judicial magistrate. The complaint was lodged by the magistrate's mother. A voice recording of a police officer in Parassala with the lady who was a magistrate in Neyyatinkara was circulated on social media. The complaint is that sexually lewd comments were made in a public event about this.

Cyber ​​cases cross three thousand

2016---------283

2017---------320

2018---------340

2019---------307

2020---------426

2021----------626

2022----------773

2023---------3295

2023---------3346

"Social media should be used with caution. Abusive comments are also an offence. ''

- Manoj Abraham

Add.DGP, Law and Order