HYDERABAD: Cybercrime sleuths on Wednesday booked 20 persons and served them notices under Section 41 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) for reportedly circulating morphed images and posting derogatory comments against political leaders on social media platforms. The accused persons have been identified as the administrators or admins of social media groups and pages who ‘trolled’ politicians, including MLC K Kavitha.
Addressing the media, DCP (cyber crime) Sneha Mehra said, “To make money through viewership, subscribers and shares, ‘trollers’ started several channels under different names and began posting a plethora of posts and pictures, which are derogatory and abusive. They focused on political figures as they were aware that the algorithms would help them, earning them multiple views and making large amounts of money on social media platforms in the process.
The posts that have been posted from their own devices by morphing pictures in a vulgar manner are indecent and offensive to women’s modesty and integrity. They were confident about their anonymity as they were using different names, but these incidents attract charges under the penal codes and the Information Act.”
Sleuths used open source tech to zero in on admins: DCP
She explained that the officials tracked the social media admins using open-source intelligence techniques for 10 days. The booked persons are between the ages of 20 and 30, the DCP said. If no action is taken against such acts, it gives a sense of encouragement to such kinds of trolls, she opined. Mehra added that it sends a wrong message to the public if someone, who is not accused of anything, is being targeted by trolls and modifies the public opinion in the process.
Addressing trolls engaging in similar behaviour, the DCP said this move of booking social media admins should act as a warning and cautioned them against trolling women, especially politicians. Those who have been issued notices are Attada Srinivasa Rao of TrollerKurradu (@trollerkurradu4308) from Vizianagaram), Sirasani Manikanta of Massabbayi (@MrMassabbayi) from Kadapa, Baddanj Sravan of Yankamma Tolls from Nizamabad, Motam Srinu of Telugu Trolls New from Warangal, Peraka Nagavenkata Jyothi Kiran of Chimtu Trolls from Krishna, Vadluri Naveen of Team of Trolling: Banthipuvvu Trolls from Jagital, Bolli Chandrashekar of Chandu Trolls from Karimnagar, and Billa Srikanth of Chevilo Puvvu from Kadapa.