HYDERABAD: A 27-minute audio clip, now viral across social media platforms, seems to put in perspective what seems to be a precursor to violent crimes executed in the name of love. This in wake of one girl’s death in Warangal and another’s critical condition in Hyderabad, after being attacked by their respective stalkers in February.
The audio clip which is a recording of a conversation in Telugu between a boy and girl studying in a degree college, became viral over the last six days since it was first uploaded on YouTube.
In the clip, the boy (Nikhil) threatens to ensure that the girl is raped and she ‘pays for’ calling off the relationship. He further alleges that the girl has cheated on him. He even reveals details about her family. When she stays put on her decision he threatens to rape her daughter in the future.
Activists and women’s rights groups have taken a strong offensive against social media platforms for not flagging off such content “I was shocked when the girls in my own family were consuming such content. I had to explain to them to not accept such behaviour from any man. It is impressionable on young minds that treating girls like this is ‘cool’,” noted Sajaya Kakarla, a women rights activist from the city.“And what about those who won’t speak to their children about the problematic nature of the clip,” worried Sajaya. Meanwhile women groups are demanding the cyber crime cell to investigate the matter and avert any possible harm to the girl in the audio clip considering the boy has shown enough guts to not just record the audio but also circulate it online.Meanwhile, officials said although no complaint has been filed, they are looking to take up the case suo-motu.
Punish girls who ‘say no’
The disturbing audio clip has kicked off a storm online, with many young boys creating memes mocking the love-lorne boy. On the other hand, the clip has unleashed an army of trolls demanding that ‘such girls’ who ‘say no’ deserve to be thrown acid at, or raped or even burnt.