Subash Bagmar :
While conventional stalking has received much attention lately, harassment through mobile phones and the internet has grown to be a silent epidemic in the last few years. It is sexual harassment of the new millennium as almost all the victims are women.
The recent case of the unfortunate Bithi of Naogaon who was a college going student and committed suicide is a clear example of the void left in our laws regarding cyber stalking. She was stalked in cyberspace as her jilted suitor posted indecent pictures of her -which were photoshopped and not real – on a fake Facebook profile.
The anonymity of the electronic communication devices makes it more likely for a person to indulge in stalking. Some people are turning to these tools to do and say things they otherwise would not do. Other examples of women who were stalked was a schoolgirl who spent sleepless nights because of crank calls; another was an industrialist’s daughter who stumbled across
obscene pictures and her personal details on a Facebook profile someone else had opened in her name. The stalkers more often than not have a face and it makes it even more traumatic for the victims.
While no statistics are available to confirm the number of electronic stalking victims, almost every woman using a mobile phone or the internet has suffered abuse at one time or another. From January to July this year, 44 women reported harassment to the cyber crime prevention cell of the police’s detective branch. In response, the police have blocked 46 SIM cards. The law enforcers however admit that blocking SIM is not enough, as most people own multiple numbers, and a new subscription is only some cash away. They said the existing laws appear toothless when it comes to fighting e-stalking, as some of them are more than a hundred years old.
The laws require the police to know the stalker’s identity to take action against him. This is a major problem since in many cases the perpetrator remains unidentified. Thus there is the need for a law against cyber crimes.
It is difficult to take action against the stalkers as there is no specific law. A proposed act to curb cellphone-related crimes and harassment promises some respite. The draft law defines stalking, both physical and digital, as sexual harassment, and prescribes punishment. The new law may prove ineffective, as most of the stalking incidents tend to go unreported.
There is a lack of tech-savvy officers needed to hunt down high-tech criminals.The detective branch’s cyber crime cell, set up in 2008, exists in name only. Exceptional cases, however, receive special attention from the police. When a youth posted offensive materials on Facebook to taunt politicians in May, he was arrested within days and the whole social networking website was banned for a week.
Banning an entire website like Facebook is out of the question. But there should be some sort of a law or policy to safeguard our young women. Experts believe fear of social stigma is another reason why victims are loath to file complaints with the police. Women do not tell anyone about being harassed for fear of being stigmatized. Women, especially those in the city, have become somewhat accustomed to harassment in everyday life. Anyone experiencing harassment over the phone or the internet should inform her family members immediately. The family members can go to the police if necessary. Some young women, who are actually unaware that they are being subjected to a form of sexual harassment, try to laugh off the matter.
While conventional stalking has received much attention lately, harassment through mobile phones and the internet has grown to be a silent epidemic in the last few years. It is sexual harassment of the new millennium as almost all the victims are women.
The recent case of the unfortunate Bithi of Naogaon who was a college going student and committed suicide is a clear example of the void left in our laws regarding cyber stalking. She was stalked in cyberspace as her jilted suitor posted indecent pictures of her -which were photoshopped and not real – on a fake Facebook profile.
The anonymity of the electronic communication devices makes it more likely for a person to indulge in stalking. Some people are turning to these tools to do and say things they otherwise would not do. Other examples of women who were stalked was a schoolgirl who spent sleepless nights because of crank calls; another was an industrialist’s daughter who stumbled across
obscene pictures and her personal details on a Facebook profile someone else had opened in her name. The stalkers more often than not have a face and it makes it even more traumatic for the victims.
While no statistics are available to confirm the number of electronic stalking victims, almost every woman using a mobile phone or the internet has suffered abuse at one time or another. From January to July this year, 44 women reported harassment to the cyber crime prevention cell of the police’s detective branch. In response, the police have blocked 46 SIM cards. The law enforcers however admit that blocking SIM is not enough, as most people own multiple numbers, and a new subscription is only some cash away. They said the existing laws appear toothless when it comes to fighting e-stalking, as some of them are more than a hundred years old.
The laws require the police to know the stalker’s identity to take action against him. This is a major problem since in many cases the perpetrator remains unidentified. Thus there is the need for a law against cyber crimes.
It is difficult to take action against the stalkers as there is no specific law. A proposed act to curb cellphone-related crimes and harassment promises some respite. The draft law defines stalking, both physical and digital, as sexual harassment, and prescribes punishment. The new law may prove ineffective, as most of the stalking incidents tend to go unreported.
There is a lack of tech-savvy officers needed to hunt down high-tech criminals.The detective branch’s cyber crime cell, set up in 2008, exists in name only. Exceptional cases, however, receive special attention from the police. When a youth posted offensive materials on Facebook to taunt politicians in May, he was arrested within days and the whole social networking website was banned for a week.
Banning an entire website like Facebook is out of the question. But there should be some sort of a law or policy to safeguard our young women. Experts believe fear of social stigma is another reason why victims are loath to file complaints with the police. Women do not tell anyone about being harassed for fear of being stigmatized. Women, especially those in the city, have become somewhat accustomed to harassment in everyday life. Anyone experiencing harassment over the phone or the internet should inform her family members immediately. The family members can go to the police if necessary. Some young women, who are actually unaware that they are being subjected to a form of sexual harassment, try to laugh off the matter.
