The Kolkata Police has written to social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter in connection with allegations of online harassment of “Bengali Women.’
West Bengal Commission for Women (WBCW) had approached the city police stating that they received several complaints of abuse and defamation on social media, particularly after the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.
Leena Gangopadhyay, WBCW chairperson, said the commission had received more than 30 complaints over the past one week.
“Since a girl from a community is being investigated, it does not mean Bengali women can be abused and targeted on social media. Personally, I feel it is not a question of Bengali community. The issue is of disrespect and harassment of women, which is a punishable offence,” the WBCW chairperson said.
Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), Kolkata Police, Murlidhar Sharma told The Hindu that cases had been filed under sections of the IT Act and under IPC of stalking, criminal conspiracy and insulting the modesty of a woman.
Prominent personalities of the city, including Sushant Singh Rajput’s Dil Bechara co-star Swastika Mukherjee and Trinamool Congress MP and actor Nusrat Jahan, had responded to tweets on social media targeting Bengali women.
“We “Bengali Girls” also run around — cook n conquer the world. Stop disgracing a community for your agendas. I’m sure you don’t know your Maach-Masala-Mishti well,” Ms. Jahan had said on twitter a few days ago.
