Cyber stalker makes 12 fake profiles to harass woman, held

Dahisar police arrested a 21-year-old for sexually harassing a 27-year-old event manager by creating 12 fake profiles, sharing her phone number, and calling her

Dahisar police arrested a 21-year-old for sexually harassing a 27-year-old event manager by creating 12 fake profiles, sharing her phone number, and calling her a sex worker on social media sites.

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Police tracked and arrested Tushar Parmar, a resident of Mira Road, on December 8. He was granted bail after agreeing not to contact the complainant.

According to Dahisar police, the complainant received a message from one Aanika Sharma in June 2019, wherein Sharma had asked the complainant if she would have sex with her and her boyfriend.

The complainant had then blocked Sharma. Later, her friends informed her that a woman called them and spoke badly about the complainant.

In September, 12 fake accounts were made, including some in the complainant’s name, on social media sites, where the accused made the complainant’s phone number public and wrote that she is a sex worker.

“I started receiving obscene videos and messages from random men. Some even called and inquired about which services I provide and what my rate was,” the complainant told police.

She then approached Dahisar police on September 21, following which the police registered an FIR under sections 354A (sexual harassment), 354D (stalking) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and 66C (identity theft) and 67A (transmitting obscene material in electronic form) of the Information Technology (IT) Act.

The cyber unit of Dahisar police then contacted the social media sites, seeking help to track the accused and were provided with two mobile numbers used to open some of the profiles.

Based on the numbers, police tracked and arrested Parmar. He was produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody.

A police officer said, “Parmar was granted bail by the court under several conditions, which includes that he will not contact or harass the woman.”