Hyderabad's SHE Teams rescue women, crack down on midnight tormentors as digital blackmail rises

HYDERABAD: City police’s SHE Teams on Sunday said they had cracked 121 cases of midnight harassment against women, in which the accused used internet calls to maintain anonymity.

“The SHE Teams resolved 121 cases of midnight harassment through internet calls and 82 cases involving fake profiles and the circulation of obscene content on WhatsApp. At least 50 women reported severe mental distress due to repeated abusive calls from untraceable numbers, which were later identified using forensic analysis,” Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar said.


He appealed to victims not to suffer in silence and to seek the help of the SHE Teams to overcome their problems.

SHE Teams officials said digital blackmail had emerged as the most common complaint in cases of digital harassment, with 366 victims seeking assistance. In most cases, the accused were former relationship partners or acquaintances of the victims.

“Offenders typically befriended women on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, gained their trust, and later misused recorded video calls or private photographs to extort money or sexual favours. In several cases, former partners used old images to threaten victims, often attempting to disrupt their future marriages or personal lives,” Mr Sajjanar said in a press note.

Over the past year, SHE Team personnel received 1,149 complaints of various kinds, including digital harassment. During the same period, 3,826 persons were apprehended.

Officials also shared the experiences of some victims whose tormentors were caught after they approached the police. A 22-year-old woman recounted how she was terrorised by a man following a break-up.

“I was living in a constant state of fear, paralysed by the thought that a single click by my harasser could destroy my reputation and my family’s honour. I felt suffocated and saw no way out until I reached out to the SHE Teams. They not only apprehended the culprit but handled my case with great sensitivity and confidentiality, which helped restore my dignity,” she said.

In another case, a woman alleged that a man harassed her after she rejected his love proposal at her workplace. “What began as unwanted attention soon escalated into a daily nightmare of stalking and death threats. My workplace, which used to be my safe space, felt like a trap as I was being followed every day,” she said.

After approaching the SHE Team, the accused was arrested and the woman said she was able to approach the police without fear.

The Police Commissioner warned that harassment, particularly digital blackmail and cyberstalking, would be dealt with firmly. “No offender should assume that anonymity or technology will shield them from the law,” he said.

Appealing to women to approach the police, officials assured, “Your identity and dignity will be protected. Confidentiality is our responsibility, and the police will stand with every woman who comes forward. We assure swift response and victim-centric handling of complaints.”


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