Spurt in crimes linked to social media in Raj, DGP says 'new challenge'

On December 6, when Shambhulal Regar hacked and burned to death a Muslim migrant labourer in Rajasthan and posted the video of the spine-chilling incident on social media, shock waves were sent across the country.

While this incident drew nationwide attention due to the chilling nature of the crime and the graphic video that reached crores of inbox through social media, this is not the only crime linked to or spread through the unconventional medium of communication in the state.

Complaints to police about crimes linked with social media have increased significantly in the western state, with government figures showing that about 1,574 such cases were registered in Rajasthan in the last four years.

In a more recent incident, the state police said a 40-year-old woman filed a complaint to them on March 5 alleging she was raped by six youths in Rajasthan's Baran district who also filmed the crime and uploaded the video on social media.

The alleged crime was committed about a month ago but the woman lodged a report at Mahila police station after she came to know about the video being uploaded on social media, they said.

The number of crimes linked to or spread through social media was comparatively lesser in 2014.

According to the statistics of the state's home department, while 266 such cases were registered at police stations across the state in 2014, the number almost more than doubled to 546 in 2017.

As per the figures, sections of IT Act were imposed on the accused in the 266 cases of 2014. The number of cases was 399 in 2015 and 363 in 2016. The cases included that of honey-trapping, blackmailing or fraud among others.

According to the data, state capital Jaipur recorded maximum number of cases (607) of crimes linked to social media between 2014 and 2017.

The other cities which registered significant number of cases include Kota (122) followed by 107 cases in Barmer and 106 in Ajmer.

Rajasthan DGP O.P Galhotra said the figures demonstrate a new challenge to the police.

"Social media is fast taking over conventional media as a medium of expression. So far, it largely remains unregulated. A variety of offences is being committed through this medium and we invoke sections of applicable acts," he said.

He also emphasised there was a need to build capacity in this direction.

"We do have cybercells but manpower has not been formally sanctioned to it," he said. "But now, the government has sanctioned additional units and manpower which would certainly be a step forward to deal with crimes related with social media."
He also appealed that everything that goes around on social media should not be trusted blindly. "The medium is also becoming a source of misinformation so people should not blindly follow."