Lewd MMS, emails may land you in jail

The cabinet on Thursday approved amendments to the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, which will target "indecent portrayal of women" on the internet and other new-age media with hefty fines and stiff penal provisions.

The cabinet on Thursday approved amendments to the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Act, 1986, which will target "indecent portrayal of women" on the internet and other new-age media with hefty fines and stiff penal provisions.

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Besides internet, multimedia messaging, satellite communication technology, cable TV, indecent representation of women through any other medium such as print, audio, visual including ads would also be punishable with a fine of Rs. 50,000 and a three-year jail term.

Also it has enhanced the punishment for the first offence with a fine of Rs. 50,000 and jail term of three years. For subsequent offence, the proposed fine has been fixed at Rs. 1 lakh. In the existing Act, the fine was Rs. 2,000 for the first offence and two-year jail term.