Bhubaneswar: Director General of Police (DGP) R P Sharma Wednesday issued an advisory to all the superintendents of police to take stringent action against people who make voyeur videos and make them viral on the social media.
Taking serious note of the rising incidents, the DGP has asked all the SPs to monitor it personally and take stringent action against such elements.
“It is observed that nowadays, many young people get involved in taking pictures / videos by mobile phones and other electronic gadgets and make it viral in social media platforms to grab attention and popularity,” Sharma said.
“Sometimes, some individuals take the videos of private moments of some people and make them viral with an intention to harass, blackmail and harm the reputation of victimised persons in the society,” he added.
The DGP has issued standard operating procedure for investigation of objectionable viral pictures /videos in various social networking platforms
He said advisory against transmission of objectionable viral pictures, videos in various social networking platforms has also been issued to all SPs, educational institutions and general public to create awareness in the society, especially among youth for not taking and circulating any objectionable viral pictures or videos in any of the social networking platform.
Both the print and electronic media persons have been requested through the advisory not to publish or circulate any objectionable viral pictures or videos. They were also advised not to disclose the identity of the victim person or the family.
Official sources said during 2014, as many as 10 cases were registered in which seven persons were arrested while in 2015, altogether 42 cases were registered in which 25 persons were arrested.
At least 40 cases were registered in 2016, and 32 were arrested.
In the current year 2017 (till September 30) as many as 93 cases have been registered in which 62 persons have been arrested.
The DGP has made it clear that there would be zero tolerance in such sensitive cases and the culprits will be booked under appropriate sections of IPC and Information Technology Act, 2000.
He said, whenever any complaint is received by the police relating to objectionable viral pictures, videos, the same must be registered under relevant penal sections and the investigation shall be conducted by the officers of the rank of Inspector or above.
Police to seize mobiles on Srimandir premises
Puri: Police have decided to seize the mobile phones of devotees if they are caught carrying the electronic gadgets into Srimandir.
The district police decision to seize mobile phones on Srimandir premises came amid reports that a devotee from Maharashtra Wednesday uploaded several photos of the 12th century shrine’s interior on his facebook account.
“There was a provision to collect fines from devotees who are carrying mobiles into Srimandir in violation of security norms. Henceforth, we will seize the mobile phone if somebody makes an entry with it to the temple,” said district superintendent of police Sarthak Sarangi.
It is learnt that Akash Madake of Pune in Maharashtra uploaded at least 20 photos taken inside Srimandir on his facebook account. The incident has raised question mark on security arrangement at Srimandir.
Notably, the Wednesday’s incident was the seventh such instance in last three months when photos of Srimandir interiors went viral on social media.
PNN