Minor girl booked for cyber harassment over neighbourhood rivalry in Nigohan

Mohanlalganj ACP Rajneesh Verma said the case came to light on July 3 after Munir Ahmad of Nigohan lodged a complaint that his daughter’s photos were being misused on Instagram. He alleged that someone had created fake profiles in her name, posted vulgar comments and even threatened to abduct her. Police registered a case under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(C) of the IT Act.

Driven by an old neighbourhood rivalry, a 17-year-old girl in Nigohan allegedly created over a dozen fake Instagram accounts to harass her neighbour’s daughter and several other girls by uploading their photos with obscene comments, police said.

The victims presenting flowers to Mohanlalganj ACP Rajneesh Verma after the case was worked out. (HT)

Mohanlalganj ACP Rajneesh Verma said the case came to light on July 3 after Munir Ahmad of Nigohan lodged a complaint that his daughter’s photos were being misused on Instagram. He alleged that someone had created fake profiles in her name, posted vulgar comments and even threatened to abduct her. Police registered a case under Section 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66(C) of the IT Act.

Investigations revealed the accused was Ahmad’s neighbour, who had been holding a grudge for months after a family dispute. “She borrowed a smartphone from her maternal uncle that already had an active email account logged in. Using it, she opened more than 12 fake Instagram accounts,” ADCP (south) Vasanth Rallapalli said.

The harassment did not stop at one target. “The minor allegedly uploaded photos of multiple girls from her locality, adding lewd captions to defame them and cause distress. The posts were designed to trigger social humiliation,” ACP Verma said.

The cyber cell and local police traced the activity to the girl and seized a smartphone. Forensic checks showed six active fake Instagram accounts on the device. “The act was intentional and meticulously planned,” an officer said, adding that the girl admitted she wanted to “teach a lesson” to her neighbour.

The ACP confirmed that the minor was undergoing counselling while further legal action would be taken under juvenile justice norms.

“Misuse of old logins and multiple fake accounts for harassment is an alarming trend. Parents must supervise online behaviour,” police said.