A 32-year-old man in Coimbatore, India, has been arrested for creating fake Instagram profiles and posting explicit photos and videos of his female relatives. The man was identified as R Sathish and was traced through his IP address. He has been charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. A Subburaj reported
In Coimbatore, a man named R Sathish was recently arrested by the city cybercrime police for his involvement in creating fake Instagram profiles and uploading explicit photos and videos of women, who happened to be his relatives. Sathish, a 32-year-old resident of Thiruneelakandapuram in Tirupur city, has a diploma in flex designing and was living in Tirupur at the time of his arrest.
The incident came to light when a 24-year-old woman, working in the IT sector and residing in P N Pudur, Coimbatore, filed a complaint with the city cybercrime police on February 7, 2023. She reported that someone had created a fake Instagram profile in her name and uploaded morphed photos of her, along with sharing her contact number. As a result, she received numerous phone calls from unknown people.
Based on the woman’s complaint, the cybercrime police initiated an investigation and registered a case against an unidentified individual under sections 385, 506 (ii) of the Indian Penal Code, sections 66 C and 67 of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act 2008, and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act. The police discovered that the culprit had used a temporary email address and created an Instagram profile in the woman’s name. He had then proceeded to upload explicit photos of her and provided her contact number on social media platforms.
Through their investigation, the police traced the Internet Protocol (IP) address back to Sathish, leading to his arrest. Interestingly, the arrested man turned out to be a close relative of the victim. In fact, it was Sathish himself who accompanied the woman to the cybercrime police station to file the complaint. The police believe that Sathish’s motive behind his actions was revenge, as he felt disrespected by his relatives. In order to seek retribution, he created at least nine fake Instagram profiles and posted obscene photographs and videos of his relatives.
Sathish appeared before a judicial magistrate on the same day of his arrest and was subsequently remanded in judicial custody. He is currently being held at the Coimbatore Central Prison.
This incident serves as a reminder of the potential dangers of misusing social media platforms and the importance of cybercrime prevention and enforcement. The police’s swift action in apprehending the offender highlights their commitment to protecting individuals from such digital harassment..