PUDUCHERRY: The cybercrime wing of the Puducherry police has cautioned women against online crimes after it recorded five complaints just within a month of setting up an office. On Thursday, police arrested Manikandan (23) of Solainagar on charges of creating a fake account on Instagram under his estranged wife's name and posting her personal photos. Manikandan's cell phone was seized and he was remanded in judicial custody.
As against a couple of odd cases recorded in the past few years, there is a rise in number of cybercrime cases being reported since December 17, said Inspector (Cybercrime) B C Keerthi. Consequently, the department is prioritising such complaints on the orders of Senior Superintendent of Police Nara Chaitanya. There have been complaints of posting intimate photos of women on social media, opening fake accounts on WhatsApp or Facebook and sending messages to others, morphing photos and posting online, and sending obscene videos or messages to other women.
Most of the women victims of cybercrimes are victimised either by their relatives or people close to them, said Keerthi. Last month, a 20-year-old woman from Mudaliarpet registered a complaint of a fake Instagram account in her name with private photos of her. She added that messages were also sent to her friends via the account. The perpetrator was later revealed to be her husband, who started posting her photos online after the woman distanced herself due to his extra-marital affairs.
The inspector advised women to be careful while taking their personal photos or videos, or sharing them with others. He further said that the cybercrime wing has various new software at its disposal to trace such crimes. "Those indulging in such crimes will not be able to escape since these are non-bailable," he said.