Hyderabad: The city police’s SHE Teams on Sunday said they had cracked 121 cases of midnight harassment against women by accused individuals who used internet calls to maintain anonymity.“The SHE Teams resolved 121 cases of midnight harassment through internet calls and 82 cases involving fake profiles and the circulation of obscene content on WhatsApp. At least 50 women reported severe mental distress due to repeated abusive calls from untraceable numbers, which were later identified using forensic analysis,” Hyderabad police commissioner VC Sajjanar said. He appealed to victims not to suffer in silence and instead seek the help of the SHE Teams to address their problems.SHE Teams officials said that digital blackmail emerged as the most common complaint in cases of digital harassment, with 366 victims seeking assistance. Most of the accused were previous partners or individuals who were acquainted with the victim, they added.“Offenders typically befriended women on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, gained their trust, and later misused recorded video calls or private photographs to extort money or sexual favours. In several cases, former partners used old images to threaten victims, often attempting to disrupt their future marriages or personal lives,” Sajjanar said.In the past year, SHE Team sleuths received 1,149 complaints of various types, including digital harassment. During this period, 3,826 individuals were caught.Officials shared the experiences of some victims whose tormentors were caught after they approached the police. A 22-year-old woman recalled how she was terrified by a man following a break-up with him.In another case, a woman was allegedly harassed after rejecting a man’s proposal at her workplace. “What began as unwanted attention soon escalated into a daily nightmare of stalking and death threats. My workplace, which used to be my safe space, felt like a trap because I was being shadowed every single day,” she recounted.When the victims approached the SHE Teams, the accused were caught, allowing them to regain their safety and confidence.
