92% of SHE Teams complaints linked to digital blackmail

Amid rise in online harassment, police have found that in majority cases the accused are known to the victims. According to DCP (SHE Teams) P Lavanya Naik Jadav, over 92% of such complaints relate to digital blackmail. Relationship turns sourA man and a woman, residents of the East Zone of Hyderabad, broke up after the latter's parents objected to their relationship, citing caste differences. Subsequently, the man allegedly began blackmailing her by sending messages and threatening to make their private photos public. He reportedly harassed her by frequently sending messages and stalking her. In addition to digital harassment, he once came to her house carrying a bottle of his urine and poured it in front of her house door. Following this, her family members approached the police, who took him into custody and arrested him. During the probe, police found that the accused was suffering from severe depression. Both the victim and the accused are in their mid-20s.Colleague turns stalkerA woman software professional working in the IT corridor approached the police, alleging that her male colleague was sexually harassing her. She sought the help of SHE Teams after reportedly failing to get a response from her company's internal committee that handles sexual harassment complaints. The woman had been briefly in a relationship with the accused, but chose to part ways due to differences. However, he allegedly continued to harass her by threatening to share their private photos. After she approached the police, they caught him and recovered digital evidence. He was subsequently arrested.Drugged & blackmailedA divorcee sought the help of police after her male friend, with whom she was closely associated, allegedly drugged her and took photographs while she was unconscious. He later blackmailed her, seeking sexual favours, and also morphed her photos, threatening to make them public. The 40-year-old mother of a child, out of fear, approached the police, who arrested the accused.Abuse of authorityA teacher at a private college came in contact with a female student on WhatsApp. What began as professional communication later turned into casual chat. He allegedly tried to impress the teenage girl by praising her qualities. The student also engaged in the conversation, which continued for several days. Subsequently, the teacher began discussing sexual and related topics. The girl shared these messages with her friend, as a ‘matter of pride'. Realising that the teacher was attempting to exploit her, the friend flagged the issue. The victim's parents approached both the police and the educational institution. He was arrested, and the college terminated his services. Later, police learned that he secured the job by claiming that he was an ex-serviceman.