WhatsApp chat on woman’s ‘character’ lands two in trouble, Delhi police file FIR

Police have filed FIR against two members of youth movement Bharat Scouts and Guides for outraging the woman’s modesty after the victim presented screenshots of group chat.

Beware of what you discuss in WhatsApp groups.

A senior management official of the Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) movement filed a complaint using as evidence, the screenshots of an alleged chat in a WhatsApp group between some other members of the BSG. (Hindustan Times)

In a first, the Delhi Police have registered an FIR on the complaint of a woman who alleged that two men pass lewd comments on her character in a WhatsApp group chat.

The woman, a senior management official of the Bharat Scouts and Guides (BSG) movement filed a complaint using as evidence, the screenshots of an alleged chat in a WhatsApp group between some other members of the BSG. About 10-15 BSG officials were members of the group. Police have registered an FIR at the IP Estate police station under sections of outraging a woman’s modesty and named two officials.

Investigating officials said the screenshot would be accepted as evidence. The woman, a senior office bearer of BSG, said she had come to the headquarters of the BSG on May 27 for their emergency national executive meeting. She stayed the night at the headquarters.

According to her complaint, when she stepped out of the meeting at the headquarters in Central Delhi ITO on May 28, she came to know about a WhatsApp group in which some members were discussing her “moral character”. The two men, also members of the BSG, had allegedly created a group called the BSG and made lewd remarks about the women.

BSG is the largest youth organisation in India. “Last year, before I was elected as a senior office-bearer in the BSG, I was told to withdraw my nomination by those two men. I did not and the matter ended there. I did not know they would resort (to) these tactics by passing such lewd comments about my character privately. Nobody has the right to do this (sic),” she told HT on the condition of anonymity.

“I was with two women and the gentleman when the meeting took place in the dining room. We went to the gentleman’s room to get an Apple phone charger. It took us less than two minutes. How can they give such sexual overtones?” she added.

Delhi Police sources said a legal opinion was taken after the women filed the complaint on May 29. The FIR was registered on June 2 after the woman provided a hard copy of the screen shots. An investigating officer said they have recorded the woman’s statement and will summon the two alleged accused.

Despite repeated calls and a text message, AK Jain, national president of BSG, could not be reached for comments on the allegations against the organisation’s officials.