Online romances claims lives of girls

KOCHI: More and more girls are losing their lives in love traps on social media. This includes many young women with education, financial status and jobs.

Police say the main reason is the increase in social media usage following Covid. Models Ansi Kabir and Anjana Shajan who died in a car accident in Kochi and Manfiya (19) from Aluva who died in a car accident in Kalamassery on Tuesday are among the victims.

Manfiya was involved in an accident while driving around the city at night with a young man she met on Instagram and a friend. The young man was driving under the influence of alcohol.

Mofiya (21), who committed suicide after being insulted at the Aluva police station, began her affair on Facebook. Despite being a law student, Mofiya did not have a great understanding of her husband Suhail's circumstances. Ansi and Anjana were Miss Kerala winners and high achievers.

There are online gangs that lure girls with family and financial problems into their traps. Police have no record of such crimes being perpetrated on social media.

Some stories

• Two Palakkad youths were arrested for threatening a 3-year-old girl from Thodupuzha with her nude photo
• The rape of a 14-year-old girl in Ilavumthitta is a continuation of her Instagram connection
• Two men who raped a 16-year-old girl after bringing her from house in Perinthalmanna to Kasargod was arrested
• A Kozhikode schoolgirl was abducted by her boyfriend in Kannur and arrested by the police in Kollam
• An Instagram boyfriend who was called home by Kozhikode schoolgirl was a burglar. Rs 45,000 was lost from the child's mother's ATM card.

KID GLOVE

A scheme launched by the Kerala Police in 2015 to curb cyber exploitation of children. Provides awareness to students, teachers and parents. ADGP Manoj Abraham said the project would be energized.