WhatsApp chat on woman’s ‘morals’ lands two in trouble

TECH TROUBLE Police file FIR against two members of youth movement Bharat Scouts and Guides for outraging the woman’s modesty after victim presents screenshots of group chat

of what you discuss in WhatsApp groups.

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 screen shot 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.

As per the 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, allegedly created a group called ‘save bsg plz’ and made lewd remarks about the women.

According to the screen shot shared by the woman, the two men discussed how the woman had come out of her room in the night and was seen with another member at the headquarters. “I would like to state that it is no one’s business to pass judgments and question my character on a public forum regarding whom I meet… giving sexual overtone to a meeting with a colleague is nothing short of evil and atrocious (sic),” reads the complaint.

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.

Sources said a legal opinion was taken after the women filed the complaint on May 29. The FIR was filed on June 2 after the woman provided a 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.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury’s press briefing was interrupted on Wednesday by two members of the Hindu Sena, a fringe Rightwing group, who were protesting against an article criticising major Leetul Gogoi’s actions in Kashmir.

The two men, identified as Upender Kumar and Pawan Kaul, were beaten by the CPI(M) workers before being taken away by the police. Yechury, however, was untouched.

Later in the night, the Delhi Police booked the duo under IPC sections 451 (trespassing in order to commit offence) and 504 (intentional insult with intention to provoke).

“We have taken legal opinion before registering the case. They are being arrested,” said BK Singh, DCP (New Delhi), adding that the two visited the place to create trouble. No case was made out against CPI (M) workers for manhandling the two men.

Hindu Sena chief Vishnu Gupta said Kumar and Kaul decided to disrupt the event at AK Gopalan Bhawan to protest against CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat’s statement criticising army chief General Bipin Rawat on his Kashmir stance.

“Around 4 pm on Wednesday, Yechury was just walking into a hall to address the media when the two Hindu Sena men walked inside in the guise of journalists,” said the DCP.

They were raising slogans against the party and in favour of the Indian Army when CPI(M) workers took them on. TV footage showed some workers beating up the duo before police rescued them and took them away.

Strong winds along with light rain in parts of Delhi in the early hours of Wednesday brought slight relief for residents from the heat wave surrounding the city for the past few days.

The maximum temperature dropped to 37.2°C, three points below normal for this time of the year. The minimum, too, settled at 26, two degrees below normal.

According to a MeT official, a western disturbance is responsible for the slight rain relief in some parts of the city.

“It was earlier forecast this will continue for four consecutive days. However, it has weakened and the quantity of rain has been less. On Thursday, partly cloudy sky is expected with a possibility of rain and thundershower or dust storm. The maximum and minimum temperature will be around 37°C and 25°C, respectively,” the official said.

On Friday, like Thursday, partly cloudy sky with rain and thundershower or dust storm has been predicted. HTC