Spurt in obscene videos worry police

BHUBANESWAR: Alarmed by a spurt in circulation of obscene photos and video clips of girls on social networking sites, the police on Wednesday sounded warning for those responsible and asked the district superintendents of police (SPs) to bring them to book.
Director general of police Rajendra Prasad Sharma said a standard operating procedure (SOP) has been issued to the SPs, highlighting method of investigation and relevant sections of law to deal with the culprits.Police also issued an advisory to public about the penal provisions for committing such offence. In the SOP, the SPs have been asked to create special teams to keep tabs on mischief-mongers, who circulate the objectionable videos and photos on digital platforms.
Cops have also been asked to improve their intelligence mechanism to prevent the cybercrime against women. "We will act tough on people, who indulge in defaming girls and women on social media. Police in districts have been asked to accord top priority to such complaints and arrest those responsible," Sharma told TOI.
Clicking obscene photos and shooting such videos will amount to voyeurism and attract minimum imprisonment for one year which may extend to three years. Circulation and publication of the objectionable photos and videos will attract jail term for a period of five years which may extend up to seven years, police said. In the last three months, at least a dozen incidents, involving circulation of obscene videos of girls, were reported in different districts. While a girl allegedly committed suicide on November 7 in Kendrapada after finding her obscene photos on Facebook, Mayurbhanj district police on November 16 arrested three youth for allegedly stripping a girl and circulating her video on social networking sites. In July two separate instances came to the fore in Bhubaneswar where sex videos of two engineering girls went viral on WhatsApp.
Police said many victims and their family members hesitate to seek the help of police after being defamed in public life following circulation of the videos and photos. "We appeal to people to refrain from committing the offence. Victims and their family members should be encouraged to approach the police for action against the culprits," Sharma said, adding the SPs have been asked to approach educational institutes and request them to sensitise youths.