How to lodge a complaint against harassment in

social media/cyberspace

at an INDIAN POLICE STATION

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

— First, before filing a FIR* you ought to be prepared for reluctance, even mildly cynical behavior from the police personnel, but do not let that stop you

— Try to lodge your complaint with the Cyber Cell or equivalent department of your state police. This may have a better outcome

* First Information Report (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Information_Report)

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

— You will need to have the screenshots of the abusive remarks printed to be attached with the complaint. So do not delete the evidence in a hurry...

And if the user is blocked (yes, it happens often) ask your

friends to get screenshots for you

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

Don’t know how to take a screenshot? Here’s a good website where you can find all the info you need for all devices and Operating Systems:

http://www.take-a-screenshot.org/

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

— Next write a complaint mentioning your:● Full name ● Residential address ● Name of your father/husband (yeah, it sucks, but law

in this country is regressive and patriarchal, no matter how much we put our faith in it)

● Your age● Phone number

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

— Then narrate the details of the abuse, sign below and make a few copies of the complaint

— Submit it alongside the print outs of the screenshot, and in get one of the copies of the complaint signed and stamped by the authorities

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

— At times, the police might tell you that since IT Act 66A has been scrapped, they cannot help you in this regard!

— Tell them to lodge a complaint under IPC, especially Section 354D or Section 509

How to lodge a complaint against harassment in social media/cyberspaceat an INDIAN POLICE STATION

After this process is done, you will probably get a phone call from the police after a few days ...

● If they do not call, you can try to follow up the complaint by visiting the police station

● If you have contacts, use them, it always helps● Remember, even if nothing comes out of the

complaint, it is essential to register one. This will be helpful later, if the person(s) concerned continue to harass you or someone else.