A court has sentenced a junior naval officer to two years in prison for harassing a Hyderabad-based girl with “obscene messages” on Facebook in 2010, PTI reported on Saturday. The court has given Dilip Kumar, posted at INS Shikra in Colaba, 30 days to appeal before a High Court.
First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (Nampally) Moka Suvarna Raju also ordered Kumar to pay a fine of Rs 15,000. “Since he has been given the option of appealing in the higher court, we have not yet detained him. If he goes for appeal, we will follow the orders of the upper court. Or else, we will send him to jail on April 30,” Cyber Crime Inspector B Ravi Kumar Reddy, told Mumbai Mirror.
The girl is the daughter of a former Indian Navy officer, Mumbai Mirror reported. Kumar was 27-years-old when he allegedly committed the crime on February 27, 2010, while the complainant was 16. The case is considered one of the earliest cybercrime violations reported in India, the daily reported.
The prosecution said the girl had added the accused as a friend on Facebook while she was searching for people from the Navy, “as her father was a retired naval officer”. The prosecution proved she objected to his advances to lure her into an online relationship. Kumar reacted angrily and sent abusive and vulgar messages.
He was arrested after girl’s father asked the Crime Investigation Department’s cybercrime branch to intervene, but was released on bail the next day. The investigators said he had communicated with the girl from an internet cafe in Colaba.
Reddy said that while he had informed the officials at INS Shikra, he was not aware of any action taken against the officer.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!