A woman from Tamil Nadu who had gone abroad for work was targeted through her social media accounts, after an individual allegedly morphed her photos into obscene videos and circulated them online. The person reportedly threatened to remove the content only if money was paid.
Following a complaint by the woman’s brother, a petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court seeking directions for police action.
Justice L. Victoria Gowri observed that delay in responding to cyber offences can be dangerous, as electronic traces are fragile and can disappear quickly. The court noted that web addresses may vanish, user accounts can be deleted, and IP logs may be overwritten.
Stressing that immediate preservation of digital evidence is essential to uphold truth and justice, the judge said “morphing” is a deliberate attack on a person’s privacy, reputation and psychological safety. The court directed that if a complaint discloses prima facie grounds, the police must register a case and take steps to remove morphed obscene posts from the internet.
