How a personal tragedy led to a crusade against cyber bullying

“We are facing a cyberbullying pandemic, yet most victims, especially young women, don’t know who to turn to,” says Dr Sheetal Gagrani

MUMBAI: In a room at a business centre in Worli, Sheetal Gagrani, a UK-based radiologist and wife of municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, sits surrounded by a group of cybersecurity experts, including those from noted data analytics firm Inspira, who have converged here to devise a multi-pronged approach to address a silent epidemic that has claimed countless lives – including that of Gagrani’s niece, Swara.

Dr Sheetal Gagrani in Mumbai on April 9, 2024. (Raju Shinde/HT Photo)

Swara, who had completed an MBBS programme, passed away on Gudi Padwa last year, a month before her 25th birthday, Gagrani shares, her eyes welling up as she recalls the last time Swara’s family threw their arms around her: “She came down, met everyone, and then…”

With ‘Brush of Hope’, the heartbroken aunt (Swara was her brother’s daughter) aims to break the stigma surrounding victims of cyberbullying and provide them support. “Our goal is to create a safe space where victims can share their stories, find solace, and access resources to help them heal and move forward with strength and dignity,” says Dr Gagrani.

Central to this enterprise is a powerful exhibition of art, curated by Dr Gagrani in collaboration with the Maharashtra Cyber Crime Branch, which will be on display at The Designera art gallery, in Parel, till April 20. Among other emerging artists, it includes works by Swara – watercolours as well as diary entries now transformed into murals – which will be used to serve as a poignant reminder of a life lost too soon.

“We are facing a cyberbullying pandemic, yet most victims, especially young women, don’t know who to turn to,” she says. Citing her family’s experience, she adds: “At first, we thought it was academic pressure that got to her, because Swara didn’t say anything to the family probably because of the shame attached to it. Yet, we discovered later that she had been searching for avenues to reach out. Her last message to a helpline went out as late as March 17, and she breathed her last on March 22.”

Dr Gagrani’s investigations after Swara’s passing revealed that she was being harassed by a stalker for almost a year. “In such situations, girls and even women in our society tend to blame themselves, worrying about the impact on family. Young women must know they have our unconditional support,” says Dr Gagrani, who had located the perpetrator with the help of the cybercrime department. “Meta and other organisations helped us find the culprit – a 23-year-old chartered accountant pursuing MBA in Telangana. We discovered that he had a history of such behaviour – he had harassed girls using fake IDs.”

While cyberbullying is becoming increasingly commonplace – NCRB data indicates a 63.48% increase in cybercrime incidents from 2018 to 2019 – and the rise of AI has only exacerbated instances of deep fakes and sextortion, Munish Gupta, head of the global cybersecurity advisory team at Inspira, points out. “Currently, in India, laws are mainly aimed at checking financial cybercrimes or instances of cyber fraud. Also, underage victims of cyberbullying must be accompanied by an adult while lodging a complaint,” he says. This can be emotionally daunting, and the absence of specific legal provisions can leave victims without clear avenues for justice while perpetuating a culture of silence.

Along with film actress Gayatri Oberoi; philanthropist Minoo Deora and chairperson of RBK Educational Institutions, University of Mumbai, and the women’s wing of MCHI-CREDAI Rupal Kanakia, Dr Gagrani has raised ₹3 crore to foster change through a multi-pronged approach that includes ‘Brush of Hope.’ Dr Gagrani aims to loan Swara’s artworks to schools and public spaces to encourage reflection, inspire conversations, and, ultimately, promote healing.

“By displaying her handwriting, her recipes, and notes and doodles from her scrapbook, we can show others that she was a real person with dreams and aspirations just like them,” she explains, underscoring the importance of creating a culture of empathy and understanding. “We need to normalise conversations about mental health and emotions.”

The group is also in the process of setting up a safe space where victims may seek immediate help. “We must have a dedicated helpline, where calls can be diverted to trained volunteers,” she says. “We also need psychotherapists who can provide more specialised help when needed, and people should be able to escalate their issues to involve direct police intervention in cases where this is required.”

Other artists’ works on display are: Hitesh Gilder, Vijay Shinde, Amara De Tori, Sarvesh Chavan, Mukesh Chaudhary, Khushi Gursale, Dhanashree Manjare, Pratish Panchal and Shreyash Kalambate. Additionally, interactive art installations, on which viewers may leave their comments – one of these is a mannequin which appears to be breaking out of the artwork, as a metaphor for breaking free from societal pressures – have been created to encourage conversations about mental health and self-esteem. Coffee table books with Swara’s work will be on sale for ₹50,000 apiece, with proceeds going towards this much-needed initiative.