Girls battle stigma as morphed photos go viral

AGRA: Life has become hell for around 50 college-going girls — mostly from Vrindavan city — whose morphed photos have been circulated on social media. A few among them are from Lucknow and Patna.

“They have stopped going to college and are confined to homes as ‘obscene photos’ have been circulated along with their names and addresses. The family members are in depression. Some had approached me to take up the matter,” stated Dr Laxmi Gautam, founder president of Kanak Dhara Foundation, an NGO working for women, with special focus on widows coming to Vrindavan.

“The pictures are morphed by attaching nude bodies to the face profiles of the girls and these images are being circulated through WhatsApp, Facebook and other apps,” said Gautam.

Kanak Dhara Foundation has assured that the office of the chief minister and the Prime Minister will be informed about the matter and issue will also be taken up with the women commission, as parents of these girls are hesitating to lodge a police complaint. Meanwhile, SSP Mathura said the matter is being handed over to the crime branch for investigation.

“It’s not the first time that such a thing has happened. Such photos of girls were also circulated in November and December in 2015. The shocked parents were not in a position to approach the police but the complaint was communicated to Vrindavan’s Kotwali police who asked them to report the matter to the cyber cell at Mathura,” said Gautam.

Last year, the matter was taken up with the then SSP at Mathura Rakesh Singh who had directed the cyber cell to look into the matter. But the culprits were not brought to book. “The issue died down with the passage of time, but such morphed photos have been circulated again and I was informed about it four days ago,” stated the NGO’s president.

Babloo Kumar, SSP Mathura, admitted that the matter has come to his knowledge though no formal complaint has been lodged till Tuesday afternoon. “We have invited those related to the matter and FIR would be lodged thereafter. Meanwhile, crime branch of Mathura police has been asked to pursue the case,” he stated.