KOCHI: The suicide of a 41-year-old man, following the viral circulation of a video alleging misconduct on a bus, has once again brought the spotlight on social media trials, triggering sharp questions over the lack of swift police intervention when the video first emerged. Whereas, a top police source said they had followed due procedure by registering a case of unnatural death, adding that any form of misconduct—whether against men or women—must be dealt with strictly under the law and that appropriate action would be taken against those found guilty.
“The primary duty of the police is to maintain law and order, not to act based on public reactions. In such incidents, all angles must be thoroughly examined before initiating action. Otherwise, the officials handling the case may face serious disciplinary proceedings,” said the officer.
No matter how much we claim that we live in a neutral society, the law does provide considerable protection to women in such cases. We cannot act in ways that spread hatred, disrupt social harmony, or reveal the identity of a survivor in cases such as rape, added the officer.
Commenting on the matter, Muhammed Ibrahim, an advocate practising at the Ernakulam District Sessions Court, said that acts amounting to criminal offences must be dealt with strictly through due process, and pointed out that, unlike the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) is partially gender-neutral in its provisions.
“If an individual is involved in an act that the law criminalises and it is captured on video, he will certainly face charges, including offences such as assault with intent to outrage the modesty of a woman under the BNS.
However, if the person is innocent, he can initiate defamation proceedings for the public circulation of the video and may also invoke charges of abetment. But, such cases are difficult to prove and generally have a low conviction rate,” said Muhammed.
Meanwhile, C J John, a Kochi-based senior psychiatrist, said that indecent intrusions and acts of molestation by perverted individuals in crowded public spaces, during festivals, and in places where women gather have become a harsh reality and must be taken seriously.
“It is a type of sexual disorder, such as paraphilia—marked by intense sexual interests in atypical objects or non-consenting individuals—often seen in perverted minds. Such behaviour involves both psychological deviation and intrusion into another person’s private space, and both are crimes. In these cases, victims should not remain silent, but they should approach the law with evidence, rather than exposing the incident on social media and subjecting it to a trial by public that can tarnish the identity of the person involved,” he said.
He further added that in recent times, a counter-campaign projecting men as the ‘real victims’ has begun to surface, with instances of attempts to tarnish the identity of survivors or complainants. “Society, whether intentionally or unintentionally, is drifting towards blindly protecting the male while dismissing or silencing the reaction of the woman. There needs to be a balance, and such matters must be addressed strictly through legal means,” he said. He added that these types of crimes demand swift and stringent action, along with a clear code of conduct.
