Lok Sabha Question No. 3143 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-22
Subject: Cyber Harrassment of Women
Ministry: HOME AFFAIRS
Asked by: Kirit Premjibhai Solanki

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3143

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 22 ND  MARCH, 2022/ CHAITRA 1, 1944 (SAKA)

CYBER HARRASSMENT OF WOMEN

3143. DR. (PROF.) KIRIT PREMJIBHAI SOLANKI:

Will the Minister of HOME AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  cognizance  of  the  increasing instances  of  cyber  harassment  and  impersonation  of  women  on  social media;
- (b)  if  so,  the  details  and  the  number  of  cases  and  action  undertaken  on culprits during 2019-21;
- (c) whether the Ministry has developed a portal/ helpline where women can register their complaints against cyber harassment and impersonation;

(d) if so, the details of the cases reported between 2019-2021 along with the steps that have been undertaken to popularize the portal; and

(e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS (SHRI AJAY KUMAR MISHRA)

(a)  to  (e):      With  the  enhanced  use  of  cyber  space,  the  number  of  cyber crimes  is  also  increasing,  including  those  against  women.  The  National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes statistical data on crimes in its publication 'Crime in India'.  The latest published report is for the  year  2020.      As  per  the  data  published  by  the  NCRB,  details  of cases registered under the head  cyber  crimes  against  women  (involving

## LS.US.Q.NO.3143 FOR 22.03.2022

communication devices as medium/target) for the years 2019 and 2020 are at the Annexure.

'Police' and 'Public Order' are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes through their law enforcement agencies. The law enforcement agencies take legal action as per the provisions of law against persons involved in misuse of social media for impersonation of women and cyber harassment.

The Government has launched the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (www.cybercrime.gov.in) on 30.08.2019 to enable public to report all types of  cyber  crimes,  with  special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Cyber crime incidents reported on this portal are routed automatically  to  the  respective  State/UT  law  enforcement  agency  for further handling as per the provisions of law. A Toll-free Helpline number '1930' has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints. As per the data maintained, since its inception, 904061 cyber crime  incidents  have  been  registered  upto  28.02.2022  on  the  portal. However, specific data regarding cases of 'cyber harassment and impersonation of women on social media' is not maintained separately on the portal.

## LS.US.Q.NO.3143 FOR 22.03.2022

To spread awareness about the Portal and Toll-free Helpline number, the Government has taken several steps that inter-alia includes dissemination of messages through SMS, I4C social media account, i.e., Twitter handle (@Cyberdost), Facebook (CyberDostI4C), Instagram (cyberdosti4c), Telegram  (cyberdosti4c),  Radio  campaign,  engaged  MyGov  for  publicity through multiple media, organizing Cyber Safety and Security Awareness Weeks in association with States/UTs, etc. The States/UTs have also been requested to carry out publicity of the Toll-free Helpline number and the Portal to create mass awareness.

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ANNEXURE

Crime head-wise Cases Registered(CR), Cases Chargesheeted(CCS), Cases Convicted(CON), Persons Arrested(PAR), Persons Chargesheeted(PCS) and Persons Convicted(PCV) under Cyber Crimes against Women During 2019-2020

| Sl. no                 | Crime head                                                      | 2019                   | 2019                   | 2019                   | 2019                   | 2019                   | 2019                   | 2020                   | 2020                   | 2020                   | 2020                   | 2020                   | 2020                   |
|------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
| Sl. no                 | Crime head                                                      | CR                     | CCS                    | CON                    | PAR                    | PCS                    | PCV                    | CR                     | CCS                    | CON                    | PAR                    | PCS                    | PCV                    |
| 1                      | Cyber Blackmailing/ Threatening                                 | 108                    | 57                     | 3                      | 85                     | 69                     | 3                      | 74                     | 30                     | 0                      | 51                     | 40                     | 0                      |
| 2                      | Cyber Pornography/ Hosting/ Publishing Obscene Sexual Materials | 1174                   | 571                    | 3                      | 639                    | 690                    | 3                      | 1655                   | 690                    | 10                     | 1026                   | 965                    | 12                     |
| 3                      | Cyber Stalking/ Cyber Bullying of Women                         | 785                    | 456                    | 18                     | 661                    | 592                    | 21                     | 887                    | 477                    | 21                     | 668                    | 567                    | 32                     |
| 4                      | Defamation/ Morphing                                            | 65                     | 30                     | 0                      | 37                     | 39                     | 0                      | 251                    | 39                     | 0                      | 50                     | 44                     | 0                      |
| 5                      | Fake Profile                                                    | 288                    | 58                     | 1                      | 227                    | 66                     | 1                      | 354                    | 47                     | 1                      | 264                    | 55                     | 1                      |
| 6                      | Other Crimes against Women                                      | 5995                   | 1316                   | 26                     | 2024                   | 1678                   | 42                     | 7184                   | 2037                   | 42                     | 2083                   | 2447                   | 49                     |
|                        | Total Cyber Crimes against Women                                | 8415                   | 2488                   | 51                     | 3673                   | 3134                   | 70                     | 10405                  | 3320                   | 74                     | 4142                   | 4118                   | 94                     |
| Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India                                          | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India | Source: Crime in India |

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